


Beyond The Mirror: Iron

by SelenaProductions



Series: Beyond The Mirror [3]
Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse), Hercules (1997), Resident Evil - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Dark Comedy, Drama & Romance, F/M, Multi, Survival Horror
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-07
Updated: 2017-09-05
Packaged: 2018-09-15 12:43:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 43,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9235700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SelenaProductions/pseuds/SelenaProductions
Summary: Family is everything until it kills you, a dream should be followed until it destroys you, and love sets you free until it breaks you. A war is on the horizon, and only one will stand at the end.





	1. A Fatal Mistake

Persephone turned a corner while remaining hidden against the cavern wall. Silence surrounded her, which could be good or bad for her mission, but she didn’t care.

_Bring it on._ She smirked.

Pulling out two handguns from the holsters around her thighs, she treaded through the rough terrain. Ahead, displayed on a pedestal, was the ancient artifact she had been searching for. It glistened in the limited rays of illusory light, and she smiled at her victory.

She climbed up to the pedestal before scanning the area one last time. Feeling the coast was clear, she put her handguns away, but when she reached for the artifact, she felt a gun against the back of her head.

“Freeze, Ms. Croft,” Hades said with a taunting tone.

Persephone raised her hands. “I figured I didn’t lose you on the train, Mr. Jones.”

“Nice try, babe.” Stepping closer, he brushed her long, braided ponytail to the side, and leaned in, his hot breath against her neck. “Now be a good girl, and put your hands behind your back.”

She complied but cringed when he handcuffed her. “Ouch. Careful, big boy, you’ll damage the merchandise.”

“Trust me. That’s the last thing I want,” he purred in her ear.

Hades nuzzled her neck while his hands brushed across her shoulders and down her arms to her hips. He pressed her against him, making her gasp, and he chuckled before lightly biting her shoulder.

_It’s only a trick._ Persephone knitted her brow. _Don’t let him distract you._

She slowly led him toward the pedestal, and using it as leverage, she back-flipped off of it. Her legs wrapped around his head, and he collapsed backwards onto the ground with her face-sitting on top of him. She sprung to her feet, leaving him sprawled out on the rocky floor.

Laughing at his stunned expression, Persephone jumped from ledge to ledge to a higher vantage point. She dislocated the joints in her shoulders and brought her hands over her head before popping her shoulders back into place. Slipping out of the handcuffs, she twirled them around her finger and watched Hades recover. 

“Sorry, but that’s too forward for a first date,” she said.

He sat up with a groan and rubbed the back of his head. “Can’t you ever let me win for once?”

She tossed the handcuffs at his feet. “Where’s the fun in that?”

“Get back here, ya little tease!” He moved to chase her, but tripped over a wire.

Hades paused, and the silence that followed was dead enough to hear the broken ‘twang’ of the wire echo throughout the cavern. Moans followed, and soon an army of mummies emerged from the depths.

“Nice going, klutz.” Hearing moaning behind her, Persephone turned around and saw a group of mummies slime out of the walls.

She took out her handguns and shot the ones closest to her. Unfortunately, no matter how many she shot, more took their place, and soon she was cornered at the edge of the cliff. Searching for an escape route, she noticed a net full of snakes hanging over where Hades was, and further off was a ledge that she could reach with some momentum.

She glanced at the grappling hook at her side.  _The net is too worn out. I won’t get a good grip._

Getting a running start, she leapt onto the net, and the sudden force made it spill its contents on top of Hades.

“Ugh, snakes. Really?” He ripped the slithering reptiles from his face.

Persephone flipped upside down, holding onto the net with her feet and swung across the cavern while swiping the artifact from its pedestal. 

She smirked. “Thanks for the leverage!”

Hades took out his whip and latched onto Persephone’s left arm. He was pulled along with her, but their momentum slowed right over a pit. Yelping, she clung to the rope and tried to shake him off of her. However, the combination of their weight snapped the rope, and they fell into the pit, the artifact dropping from her hand. 

Hades caught it and levitated in the air. “No, thank  _you_ !”

_Wise ass._ She pulled the grappling hook from her belt and shot it at him.

The hook wrapped around his right arm, dragging him down with her, and they plummeted into the pit below. They fought over the artifact in mid-air until Persephone saw they were about to land in a large pool of water. She broke away from Hades and assumed a diving position, allowing her to cut through the water with ease. Hades, on the other hand, hit the pool with a huge splash, his fire extinguishing on contact.

Persephone resurfaced alongside him and glanced around. “Now that our treasure is lost to the depths of the underwater abyss, I guess that would be a draw?”

“I would’ve won if you hadn’t cheated,” he muttered, trying to reignite his hair.

“Like you never do?” She swam closer to him. “Here, allow me.”

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Persephone kissed him, and Hades’ hair ignited with a frantic burst, crackling along his shoulders. The water turned into molten magma, and a shiver ran down her spine at the drastic change in temperature.

“Oh, this is cozy.” She relaxed, feeling his arms wrap around her. “So what now?”

“First, I’m gonna get you outta these wet clothes.” Pulling her closer, Hades lifted her onto a large, slanted rock. “And then–”

Persephone kissed him again, and he deepened it, propping her further onto the rock. She felt his hands roam her while his tongue played with hers. After a few moments, he pulled away, and she stared up at him, breathless. This is how things had been between them the past five months, and she sighed remembering how hard they struggled to reach this point.

Keeping his oath, Hades had done everything in his power to care for her and regain her trust, and she pieced herself back together while learning to be a proper ruler at his side. Slowly but surely, they mended the holes in each other’s hearts, and now their time together was almost like it had been before.

Raising her hands to the collar of his jacket, she slipped it off and tore the white tank top underneath with her nails. She raked her hands over his chest and down his abdomen toward his belt, but before she could undo it, he grabbed her wrists.

“In a hurry, Angel-face?” Hades kissed her palms. 

“It’s been a stressful day. Some of the souls I had to deal with–” She bit her lip and glanced away. “I wonder how the world functions with so much cruelty.”

He shrugged. “Because it thrives off of it as harsh of a truth that is.”

“But some of the stories I hear…. It’s downright savagery.” She frowned. “Maybe providing the souls with therapy sessions wasn’t the best idea. I’m not sure if I can stomach it.”

He brought a hand to her cheek, rubbing the tears away. “How about you take it easy for a while? You’re still recoverin’, and workin’ with souls may be hittin’ too close to home for you?”

She nodded. “That’s probably a good idea, but only for a little while. Some of them depend on me, especially the children.”

“Uh, yeah. I’m sure they do.” Hades glanced away with a distant expression before shaking his head and looking at her with smirk. “Now, why don’t you forget about today, and allow me to relieve your stress?”

_“Intruder alert! Intruder alert!”_

“Seriously?” Persephone sat up while shielding her ears.

“Ignore it. The imps are probably goofin’ off with the alarm system again. We’ll punish them later.” He kissed her neck and tried to lean her back down.

_“Intruder Alert! Intruder Alert! Class Alpha Breach!”_

“Come on, we should check it out.” She vanished from underneath him and reappeared on the shore.

“Fine.” He pouted. “But whoever this yutz is, he’s gonna burn in Tartarus.”

Changing back into their formal attire, Persephone and Hades left the caverns and stepped through the secret entrance to her gardens. They entered the observatory within her palace, and she stood before a giant water lily in the center of the room.

She waved her hand, and the petals blossomed open, revealing a large, crystal orb. “Show me the intruders.”

The clouds within the crystal swirled around, unveiling a group of thirteen men. They were heading through the entrance toward the dock. Most of the men were plain mortals, but Persephone could sense divine energy radiating off of three of them.

“Demi-clots.” She narrowed her eyes at the young man at the head of the group, who was accompanied by a satyr and a pegasus. “Aidi, I think you want to see this.”

“Why? What happ–” Hades’ eyes slightly widened, and his hair flared red for a brief second. “Hercules?”

“That’s him?” she said, receiving a nod.

Hercules didn’t look like what Persephone had expected. He was stereotypically handsome with a perfect, chiseled physique. However, she could sense that he still had a boyish air about him.

_So this is Megara’s little man?_ She put a hand to her chin, her eyes tinging red.

“I’ll go see what Wonder-breath and his meddlin’ friends want, and maybe I can work this situation in our favor,” Hades said.

“No.” She held up her hand. “I’ll take care of Hercules.”

He raised an eyebrow at her flashing eyes before chuckling. “Oh? And what kinda scheme do you have brewin’ in that devious mind of yours, my sweet?”

“You’ll see. For now just–” With a grin, she pushed him back onto a bed of pillows that she had materialized behind him. “Wait here and keep thinking sexy thoughts.”

Before he could protest, she winked and vanished from the room.

….

Hercules led his group down the gloomy pathway. Silence had fallen over them the moment they stepped into his uncle’s territory. Glancing behind him, he saw the other soldiers tremble despite their brave faces, except for Theseus and Pirithous, who strode with their heads held high. The two of them were old trainees of Phil’s and much more seasoned in their heroic years.

Hercules looked at Phil, who was riding alongside him on Pegasus. “Something about this doesn’t feel right. Maybe I should’ve listened to Meg?”

“She’s just worried about you, kid.” Phil sighed. “But both you and I know that this needs to be done. An order’s an order.”

Pegasus neighed in approval.

Hercules nodded to them, but he still had a strange feeling. The situation was more than frustrating, for he knew his father had a hand in the whole fiasco. However, that didn’t change who the real villain was, and it was time to deal with Hades permanently. He glanced down at the dagger tied to his belt. It surged and pulsated with Zeus’ power, knowing its intended victim was near.

“Does anyone else feel sick all of a sudden?” Theseus wiped his hair from his sweaty brow.

“Don’t be paranoid, Theseus.” Pirithous gave a hearty laugh and grinned. “We should be able to take down the Lord of Underworld easily. Why, the boy has already defeated him twice.” He gestured to Hercules.

“Hey, don’t start bragging before we’ve finished the job, Pirithous,” Phil said. “That was always your biggest setback.”

“Yeah, yeah, Phil.” Pirithous rolled his eyes. “Hero rule number thirty-two: Boastfulness only leads to tragedy.”

Hercules shook his head. Sure he had dealt with Hades before, but both encounters had been risky, the second time costing his life and the Olympians’. Despite that, Zeus gave him the credit for saving the world. The gesture gained Hercules even more fame amongst the mortals, but it didn’t sit right with him.

_I don’t like lying to everyone, but what can I do? Father insisted, and I don’t even know how the world was saved in the first place._ Hercules turned around. “Look, let me handle this. My uncle won’t be happy to see me, but he’ll know better than to anger my father again.”

Charon arrived at the dock, and upon seeing the group, narrowed his eyes sockets into a glare. “None but the dead may ride. So be gone, mortals, especially you, son of Zeus.” He pointed at Hercules.

Phil hopped down from Pegasus and stepped forward. “Ah, come on, Charon, we brought payment. I’ll even throw in the latest issue of the Greekly World News.”

“Forget it,” Charon said, his tone firm. “The boss says it’s forbidden to even  _think_ about letting you in.”

“Well, he shouldn’t have kidnapped an innocent girl.” Hercules frowned. “We’re here to rescue Persephone, and we’re not leaving until we do.”

Charon raised an eye-bone. “Come again?”

“I said we’re here to rescue Persephone.” Hercules took out his sword. “Now, let us through.”

Charon snickered before he burst out laughing.

Pirithous scowled. “What’s so funny, you bag of bones? This is a serious matter.”

Charon glanced back at the Styx. “Get a load of this, everyone! These heroes want to  _rescue_ Lady Persephone!”

Souls popped out from various places in the river and laughed along with the ferryman. 

“I don’t like this.” Theseus retreated back.

“You know what, hop in. I need a new story for poker night anyway.” Charon made room for them.

To their surprise, the boat was strong enough to carry all of them across. However, instead of bringing them to the palace, Charon docked the boat on the shore on the opposite side. Ahead was a cavern with a thick veil of vines blocking the entrance. 

Charon glanced back at them. “Here we are.”

“But this isn’t the palace. I need you to take me to Ha–” Hercules felt a hand clamp over his mouth.

“Don’t say his name.” Theseus shivered. “You’ll call his attention.”

Charon gestured to the veil. “This is Lady Persephone’s private garden. You’re more likely to find her here than anywhere else.”

Phil hopped onto the shore. “Let’s go, everyone. Time is of the essence, and if we can sneak our D.I.D. out of here with no conflict, all the better.”

“He’s right.” Hercules climbed out of the boat. 

Pirithous, Theseus, and the other soldiers followed suit.

“Good luck, heroes. You’ll need it.” Charon rowed away, his laughter echoing throughout the area even after he was gone.

“Ignore him. We’ll be fine.” Pirithous put a hand on Theseus’ shoulder.

Stepping through the veil, everyone gasped at the sight before them. Inside of the cavern was a separate kingdom. A lush field filled with exotic blue flowers stretched out into a thick, mystical forest that bordered the area. In the distance stood a golden palace that shimmered under the light from the illusory sky, and there wasn’t a dead soul to be found.

“Wow.” Phil chuckled. “Just throw in a harem of nymphs, and I could retire here.”

Hercules looked around. “I don’t remember this being here before.”

“Is this even the right place?” Theseus folded his arms. “What if it’s a trap?”

“No. Can’t you feel it? This pure, divine energy can only be her.” Pirithous smiled. “We must hurry.”

They ventured forward, and when they reached the edge of the forest, they heard a woman singing. Her voice was so soothing that it made Hercules feel like he hadn’t a care in the world, and it was so sweet that a wave of lust washed over him. He knew he wasn’t the only one when he heard the other men sigh with pleasure.

“Such a delicate voice.” Pirithous stepped forward. “Come out, maiden! Greet your rescuers!”

The singing stopped followed by a loud gasp. “Who’s there?” Her voice was timid, almost a squeak.

“Are you Persephone?” Hercules said. “I’m Hercules, Hero of Thebes and Son of Zeus.”

There was a pause before she asked, “What do you want?”

“Your mother sent us.” He smiled. “Could you please come out? I promise we won’t hurt you.”

The bushes rustled, followed by footsteps, and Persephone emerged from the forest. Everyone stared at her, mouths agape. Hercules hadn’t known what to expect since he had only seen her as a terrifying monster, but his father and some of the other gods described her as a great beauty.

_Now I see why._ Hercules glanced her over, his blood rushing.

All of the goddesses were too beautiful for mortal eyes, and Persephone was no exception. Her luxurious hair, big, innocent eyes, and delicate face could make any man swoon, and her multi-layered gown enhanced a figure any man would die for.

Hercules rubbed his eyes. “ _You’re_ Persephone?”

“Yes,” she said with a shrug, her tone meek.

“Whoa.” Chuckling, Phil wriggled his eyebrows at Hercules before whispering, “No wonder he kidnapped her.”

Hercules frowned and gave him a reprimanding look. “Phil.” 

With Persephone’s tempting features, Hercules didn’t doubt Hades’ motivation, but it didn’t justify his uncle’s actions.

Pirithous rushed over to Persephone and knelt on one knee. “Greetings, young maiden.” He took her left hand in his. “I am Pirithous, King of Lapiths. I’ve come to rescue you from this desolate prison and make you my bride.”

Hercules blinked. “Huh?”

“What?” Persephone stepped back.

An enraged scream echoed in the distance, quaking the earth around them.

“What was that?” Theseus looked around.

“Oh… uh, the cat.” Persephone forced a smile. “I forgot to walk her. It’s a big cat.”

The others shrugged it off, but Hercules knew that voice from anywhere. Hades was aware of their presence.

“Pirithous, what are you doing?” Hercules walked over to them. “We’re supposed to return Persephone to her mother.”

“And pass up this grand opportunity? No. I desire a divine wife, and I have chosen her.” Pirithous looked at her. “Come, maiden. We must go before  _he_ finds us.”

_Demeter isn’t going to like this._ Hercules put a hand between Persephone and Pirithous, shielding her. “I won’t let you do that. Our orders were to bring Persephone home.”

“The kid’s right, Pirithous.” Phil folded his arms. “You know I trained you better than that.”

Theseus nodded. “We don’t want a wrathful goddess after us.”

“Don’t back out now, Theseus.” Pirithous towered over him. “I helped you get Helen of Troy, and you promised to help me take Persephone.”

“I’ve heard enough.” Persephone said, a sharp edge in her tone.

Snapping her fingers, she separated Hercules, Phil, and Pegasus from the others and encased them inside of a barrier. 

“Hey!” Hercules pounded against the barrier, but his strength was rendered useless. “Let us go!”

Persephone met his gaze. “Sit this one out, nephew. We’ll talk in a moment.” Her innocent demeanor disappeared, her tone authoritative. 

_Why is she calling me her nephew?_ Hercules furrowed his brow.

“You humor me, Pirithous.” A throne made of vines and thorns materialized behind Persephone, and she sat down with her legs crossed. “You dare rescue a  _queen_ from her throne? How stupid are you?”

“Queen?” Hercules noticed she wore a crown of jewels, and recalling what Meg told him, put two and two together.  _Hades didn’t kidnap Persephone in order to marry her, did he? How sick do you have to be?_

“You’re happy ruling over this wasteland?” Pirithous gave a boisterous laugh. “I can offer you so much more than that monster ever could.”

Persephone pursed her lips, her aura going sporadic. “It seems you’ve forgotten your place. King or demi-clot, you’re still mortal, and thus beneath me. I’m not going anywhere with you.”

Pirithous scowled at her. “You dare reject me? Who do you think you are, bitch!”

“ _I_ am Persephone, your Lady and Mistress, Goddess of Spring, Queen of the Underworld, Giver of Curses, and, as of now,  _your_ last hope for salvation.” Waving her hand, several vines sprung from the ground and forced Pirithous, Theseus, and their men to bow before her. “So you’d better be nice to me.”

Pirithous struggled against the vines and let out a frustrated yell. “My strength has diminished. What did you do!”

“I decided to up the security around here, so I created a curse that robs any outsiders of their powers.” She giggled. “Or as my Aidi puts it, turns  _heroes_ to  _zeros_ .”

Pirithous looked ready to fight her, but he calmed himself and smiled. “Persephone….”

“ _Lady_ Persephone.” She narrowed her eyes and tightened the vines around him.

“Lady Persephone,” he said. “Why does the Underworld even appeal to a beauty like you? With me, you could live in the light again.”

“My answer remains.” She folded her arms. “I’m not impressed by cowards. You think you can win my hand by sneaking down here in the middle of the night and stealing me away?”

“But that is how  _he_ ….”

“Exactly. If you want me so bad, be a real man and challenge him. The winner gets this.” She outlined the curves of her body with her hands.

“Don’t be a fool, Pirithous,” Theseus said.

“He’s right.” Phil jumped up and down, trying to get their attention. “Start using the right head before you get us all killed.”

“No. I accept Lady Persephone’s request.” He held his head up with pride. “I do not fear Hades.”

“Excellent.” Persephone released him of his binds.

In spite of everyone’s protests, Pirithous looked toward the illusory sky. “Lord Hades, God of the Underworld, I, Pirithous, King of Lapiths, am going to take the fair Persephone as my bride, and I dare you stop me!”

Blue fire engulfed Pirithous. He screamed in agony, but no matter what he did, the flames burned hotter until they seared right down into the marrow of his bones.

Hercules pounded against the barrier. “No!”

However, it was too late, and all that remained of Pirithous was a pile of ash. 

Persephone cackled, her eyes glowing red. “Said the spider to the fly, how do you wish to die?”

Raising her hand, she willed the vines to drag Theseus and the other men into the ground. Their bodies snapped and crushed until they were one with the earth, their blood forming a giant pool in the grass. From the pool, sprouted a tree that bore round, blue fruit.

Hercules froze in place, his mind trying to process everything. The goddess he came to save had slaughtered those men with malice, and now she looked calm like nothing happened. He watched her walk over to the tree and pick a piece of fruit from one of the branches. 

She bit into it and smiled. “Not bad.”

_Did Hades put her up to this?_ Hercules looked around, but it seemed his uncle wasn’t interested in making an appearance.

He recalled Hades using Persephone like a puppet on Olympus, and Demeter claimed that Hades had done something to her. However, Zeus told him not to be fooled, for Persephone’s appearance was a ruse. Either way, it was difficult for Hercules to gauge what the young goddess’ true state was.

_What am I going to do? She was able to kill me before._ Hercules didn’t want to admit it, but his heart shuddered at the thought of what she might do to him. 

Persephone materialized a basket in her hands and willed the fruit to neatly fall into it. Once it was full, she approached the barrier, her expression warm and inviting. 

“Listen, lady, we don’t want no trouble.” Phil backed away.

She released the barrier. “A little late for that.”


	2. Unfinished Business

Persephone glanced over Hercules and his companions. They were wary of her, which she expected and preferred.

“How could you slaughter those men? They were innocent,” Hercules said.

“What I saw inside their souls said otherwise, and given that this is my territory, only my judgement matters.” She placed the basket in front of Pegasus. “Now would your horse like a snack?”

Pegasus sniffed the fruit and eyed it with suspicion.

Phil raised an eyebrow. “What are those?”

“Moon peaches.” She smiled. “Feel free to try one.”

“But that tree–” Hercules said.

“Then I suggest never eating again. The dead return to the soil, so that new life may flourish.” She chuckled. “The circle of life, and all that.”

She saw Pegasus take a bite from one of the peaches, and he whined with glee before gorging on the whole basket.

“I’m sure you both had a tiresome journey.” She created a table covered in platters of food. “Here. Something to keep your strength up.”

Hercules shared a glanced with Phil. “You’re not going to kill us?”

“Despite my grudge against the Olympians and you being my husband’s sworn enemy, I hold no ill will toward you, Hercules.” She raised an eyebrow. “Unless, of course, you want to give me a reason to?”

Persephone returned to her makeshift throne and formed two chairs on the other side of the table. Hercules and Phil hesitated, but after a few minutes sat down. The satyr tested the food while her nephew watched her with uncertainty.

He cleared his throat. “Listen, I know my father was responsible for some of this, and I’d like to apologize to you on his behalf.”

His words threw Persephone off guard, and she glanced him over, reading his soul. His intentions were sincere, but she could sense he was hiding something.

_Should be easy to persuade him. He doesn’t seem as boorish as Zeus._ She formed a glass of rum in her hand and took a sip from it.

“Thank you, Hercules, and I appreciate the gesture.” She frowned. “But Zeus will never have my forgiveness. He’s as good as dead in my eyes.”

Phil swallowed down a bushel of grapes. “With all due respect, your highness, whatever Zeus did can’t be as bad as being trapped down here?”

“That’s not up for discussion.” She glared at him. “Now about my mother?”

“Right.” Hercules sighed. “She’s fallen into despair in your absence. When I last saw her, she couldn’t stop crying.”

_Great. I should’ve knew this was going to happen._ She furrowed her brow. “I’ll consider paying her a visit, but only if you promise to be my escort until I return to the Underworld. I don’t want to risk getting attacked by Zeus.”

“Return?” Hercules said. “We’re here to rescue you. Why would want to come back?”

“It’s a long story, and I don’t expect either of you to understand.” She smiled. “I’m happy here, and Hades is good to me.”

“Two words–” Phil held up two fingers. “You’re married to a psychopath.”

“Phil’s right. I know Hades, and he can’t be trusted,” Hercules said. “You need to get out of here before it’s too late.”

“I’m not a damsel in distress, hero.” She stood. “I can handle myself and Hades just fine.”

“Doesn’t sound like it to me.” Hercules stood, trying to meet her eyes level, but she was still a foot taller than him. “How can you defend that monster after what he’s done to you? After what he’s done to everyone?”

“My husband knows never to cross me, and it would be in your best interests to do the same. Unless–” An apple and a spit for roasting appeared in her hands. “You’d like your coach to join us for dinner?”

“Whoa! Hey!” Phil retreated from the table. “I’m only half-goat.”

She smirked. “Then I’ll only feel  _half_ guilty.”

Hercules stood in between them. “Stop. No one is eating anyone.”

Persephone pouted and huffed in a sour tone, “Only because you and your friends interrupted.” She put her hands on her hips. “Now either you promise to escort me to my mother, or stop wasting my time.”

“Phil and Pegasus will.” Hercules looked toward the garden with an austere expression. “While I deal with Hades.”

When he turned, Persephone noticed a dagger strapped to his belt and swiped it. “Ah, I knew you were hiding something.”

Hercules glanced at her with a gasp and tried to retrieve the dagger but she backed away, keeping it out of his reach. Examining it, she could sense the immense power that had been forged into the blade.

“A gift from Zeus?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, now give it back!” Hercules said.

“Why?” Persephone gave him an innocent look. “What would you need such a dangerous weapon for?”

He sighed. “By my father’s orders. Hades has gone too far, and he must be dealt with once and for all.”

“What?” Her eyes widened.

“You heard right.” Phil snorted. “That blade was infused with a thousand bolts. One strike to the heart, and you can say goodbye to your boyfriend.”

_That bastard! Now he’s using his son to do his dirty work?_ She pocketed the knife. “Well, it looks like someone is going home empty handed. I’ll amend things with my mother on my own. In the meantime, I suggest you leave.”

“Demeter was right.” Hercules grabbed her arm. “Hades brainwashed you, but everything will be fine, Persephone. We’ll bring you home, and in time, you’ll realize this is for your own good.”

“My own good?” Scowling, Persephone backhanded him. “Don’t patronize me!”

Hercules let go of her and touched his face.

Phil glared at her. “Hey, we’re trying to help you.”

“The only ones who need help are you two.” Her eyes glowed red. “Now for the last time, get out of my Underworld!”

Hercules expression went dark. “No.”

“Excuse me?” Her aura fluctuated. “I am the Queen of this realm, which means you do as I say.”

“And I am the son of the King of the Gods,” Hercules said.

She towered over him. “Zeus is no king of mine, and he holds no jurisdiction here.”

“You’d risk angering him by harming me?” Hercules said.

Persephone calmed herself. “Listen, you seem like a nice boy. I understand that you’re trying to do the right thing, but I don’t care. You’re not killing the god I love. This is the last time I’ll repeat myself. Pack up your things, hit the road, and we’ll pretend this whole exchange never happened.”

Hercules met her gaze, his eyes filled with disbelief. She could tell he was conflicted, but after a few minutes, his expression became serious and cold.

“Forgive me, Persephone, but this is how it has to be.” Hercules held out his hand. “Give me the knife, and we’ll return you to your mother.”

_Well, I tried._ She closed her eyes. “Then you must also forgive me.”

Snapping her fingers, she entrapped Hercules, Phil, and Pegasus within her vines.

“Don’t do this.” Hercules struggled to break free, but she could tell her curse had drained most of his strength. “I don’t want to fight you!”

“Neither do I.” She smiled. “So tell me, how’s Megara?”

He narrowed his eyes. “Why would she matter to you?”

“Simply curious.” Persephone circled around him. “Although, I’d like to commend you for being such a good sport. Most men don’t like raising someone else’s brat.”

“What are you talking about?” Hercules said.

“You don’t know?” She spoke in a surprised tone and placed a hand against her chest. “Meg is such a good actress, making you think you were her first.”

“What are you playing at n–” A vine clamped over Phil’s mouth.

“No interrupting.” Persephone teased in a sing-song voice before placing a hand on Hercules’ shoulder. “Let’s be real, what do you think happened when Meg was my husband’s slave?”

“What are you trying to say?” Hercules furrowed his brow. “That Meg and that monster…?”

“It’s okay if you’re disgusted. I felt the same way when I found out.” She stuck out her tongue. “That tramp with my Aidi? Ugh, it’s nauseating.”

“Bu– but that can’t be true. Meg didn’t announce her pregnancy until months after I defeated Hades,” he said.

“Come on, Hercules. Don’t be so dense. A famous hero like you is probably on the road for weeks.” She shook her head with a sympathetic expression. “While leaving poor Meg by herself without someone to keep her warm on those cold, lonely nights. It only makes sense she would seek out an old flame to fill the void.”

He glared at her. “You’re lying!”

“Ooh, did I strike a nerve?” She laughed. “I was there, hero. When I first came to the Underworld, I wasn’t interested in Hades’ advances, so he got the dumb idea to parade Meg around on his arm to make me jealous. You should’ve seen it. Completely pathetic.”

“Why should I believe you?” Hercules said.

She tapped a finger against her chin and grinned. “Tell you what, I’m going to let you and your friends go, so you can get a closer look.”

Holding out her palm, she blew a cloud of red smoke in Hercules’ face. He broke out into a fit of coughs while the smoke entered his mouth, nose, and eyes. He stopped resisting, and went still, like he was a puppet.

“Don’t take this personally, but Meg has been a very bad girl. That can’t go unpunished.” She smiled. “And you, nephew, are going to be my executioner.”

Persephone released Hercules of his binds, and he nodded slowly at her order before heading toward the garden exit. She turned her attention toward Phil and Pegasus, who were struggling to break free.

She looked up. “Lust! Vanity!”

The imps appeared at her side and bowed.

“How can we be of service to you, my Lady?” Lust said.

Persephone pointed to Phil and Pegasus. “Imprison our guests. I don’t want them getting in the way until my plan is complete.”

The imps nodded. “Yes, Lady Persephone.”

Transforming into their human selves, they whisked Phil and Pegasus out of the garden. Persephone smirked at her handiwork before returning to the observatory.

….

Hercules stormed his way through the villa. All he could focus on was seeing the baby. Images of Meg underneath Hades entered his mind, enraging him. Reaching the front doors, he kicked them down, and they collapsed from his strength. Frantic footsteps rushed in his direction, and it wasn’t long until Meg was standing before him.

“Hercules, what happened? Are you alright?” she said.

He looked around with narrowed eyes. “Where’s the baby?”

“In the nursery. I just put Creon down for a nap.” Meg approached him and put a hand to his face. “What’s wrong? You’re acting strange.”

Hercules shoved her to the side and strode toward the nursery. He heard Meg chase after him, but ignored her. Kicking the door down, he was greeted with Creon’s startled wail and walked over to the bassinet.

Creon had a sickly, pale complexion and Meg’s dark, auburn hair. He quieted down and looked up at who had disturbed him, revealing jet-black irises and yellow eyes. Gasping, Hercules stepped away.

Gasping, Hercules stepped away.  _Persephone was telling the truth._

“Hercules, what’s wrong with you!” Meg said.

Whirling around, Hercules snatched her by the arm and yanked her toward him. “What is the meaning of this?” He pointed to Creon.

She looked at him with wide eyes. “What are you talking about? Wonder-boy, you’re scaring me.”

“Don’t lie to me!” He gritted his teeth. “I know you were with Hades! That the two of you….” He felt sick to his stomach at the thought.

When Meg remained silent, he gripped her arm tighter and twisted it. She cried out and would’ve dropped to the floor if he wasn’t holding her up.

“Answer me!” He scowled at her.

“It’s… it’s true. I was with Hades.” Tears formed in her eyes. “But please understand, it was while I was working for him. I didn’t have a choi–”

Hercules threw her into the wall. “How could you do this to me! I rescued you, I trusted you–” His angered expression dropped for a moment, revealing his sorrow. “I loved you, and all you’ve ever done is stab me in the back!”

Meg slid to the floor and groaned while clutching her shoulder. “That’s not true, I….”

“Enough!” He picked up a chair and threw it at the wall above her head. “You wanted Hades instead of me all along. That’s why you bore him a son.”

She cringed as the debris fell on top of her. “What? No, Creon’s yours. Can’t you see that?”

“Do you think I’m stupid?” He seethed. “If you want to be with Hades so bad, I’ll help you.”

Hercules grabbed Meg by the neck, and she could barely get a word out before he crushed her throat. She slacked against him, the lights leaving her eyes, and tossing her to the side, he unsheathed his sword and approached the bassinet. Raising his sword, Hercules stabbed Creon, and the infant’s crying faded into a still silence.

_“Wow, my hero. I knew I could count on you, Hercules.”_

Persephone’s swooning voice snapped Hercules’ out of his trance. He stood confused for a moment before noticing the blood-soaked sword in his hand. He dropped it and gasped at what he saw in the bassinet. A golden haired, rosy-cheeked infant lay dead, his tiny body bleeding out into the blankets. Hercules stared at Creon’s eyes, and saw they were blue like his.

“What?” Hercules shook his head before turning around and seeing Meg’s corpse on the floor. “Meg!”

Hades laughed.  _“What a show! The suspense, the drama, the plot twist. I give it five stars!”_

Hercules looked around, but didn’t see anyone. “Come out and face me, cowards!”

_“Why? So you can murder us in cold blood too?”_ Persephone’s voice echoed around him.  _“And don’t take that tone with me, nephew. I warned you. You have no one to blame but yourself.”_

_“Isn’t she a babe?”_ Hades said.  _“I guess not all of us can be lucky enough to have an amazin’ woman at our side, but don’t worry, Jerkules, we’ll look after Nutmeg and Sunspot Jr. for you.”_

Vines sprouted and coiled around Meg’s corpse before dragging her through the floor. Hercules leapt for her but was pushed back by a barrier.

He glared at the air. “Let them go!”

_“No can do. And don’t bother comin’ back down here, for the second I see even a glimpse of hair on that stupid head of yours, you’re joinin’ Pirithous.”_ Hades’ tone lowered.  _“Got it? And trust me, you don’t wanna know what I did with him.”_

_“Farewell, hero.”_ Persephone giggled.  _“Thanks for showing us a good time.”_

Persephone and Hades’ laughter filled the room, taunting Hercules for his misfortune. He stared at the bassinet before dropping to his knees and screaming at the top of his lungs.

….

_No! How could Hercules do this?_ Meg struggled against Pain and Panic. “Let go of me, you idiots!”

Pain laughed. “I don’t think so, traitor.”

“Yeah, it’s payback time for ruining our chance at Olympus,” Panic said. “Now shut up before we make things worse for you.”

“You’re taking me to Hades, so he can punish me for all eternity.” She scoffed with a dry tone. “How much worse can it get?”

She regretted the words the moment they slipped from her lips, her thoughts returning to Creon. She had died, leaving her poor baby unprotected while Hercules was unstable.

_No, he wouldn’t. Oh gods, please let Creon be okay._ Meg lowered her head at how helpless she felt.  _This has to be Hades’ doing. I knew he’d seek revenge sooner or later._

The imps dragged her inside of a cavern, and she gawked at the paradise that resided within it. The place was so serene, she almost forgot she was a few yards away from being tortured. However, she snapped back to reality once they entered the palace.

Meg was brought into the observatory, and Pain and Panic threw her to the floor. The impact didn’t hurt now that she was a mere soul, which was a strange sensation itself. She flopped like a fish on dry land, unable to navigate her hollow form.

“Well, well, if it isn’t my sweet, back-stabbin’, little Nut-Meg.”

Looking up, Meg saw the Lord of the Underworld himself leaning against the wall with a smirk. She felt her soul tremble, knowing there was no escape this time.

Hades walked over to her and placed a hand under her chin. “Looks like the noble act didn’t pay off. You never learn, do you?”

“Don’t touch me!” She jerked her face away. “What did you do to Hercules? I know it was you. He’d never–”

“Never what?” A female voice laughed. “Hurt you?”

A young goddess stepped out of the shadows, and recognizing her voice, Meg stared at her with wide eyes. “Persephone?”

“Hello, Meg.” She gave a curt wave. “Long time no see.”

Judging by the goddess’ tone, Persephone was still miffed after their last encounter. Meg searched for the right words to say, but was coming up empty. She knew how to speak to Hades and what to expect from him. Persephone, on the other hand….

_Maybe I can reason with her?_ Meg shifted, so she was sitting upright. “Look, about before, it was an accident. I didn’t know.”

“You think that matters!” Persephone’s eyes glowed red. “I wasted my time helping you, and you repay me by pushing me off a fucking cliff!”

_Never mind._ Meg frowned.

She was terrified but kept her composure. She knew Hades would love to finally see her break, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

“You’re with this bastard.” Meg nodded to him. “I had to stop you.”

“Bastard? Ouch.” Hades pouted. “Am I really that bad a guy?”

“Don’t get me started.” Meg scowled at him. “We’d be here all night.”

“Why not?” He smirked. “We have all eternity now that Wonder-breath wrung you out to dry.”

Meg recalled the feeling of Hercules’ hands around her neck and the crazed look in his eyes. Cringing, she turned away.

“Personally–” Persephone walked over to Hades and caressed the side of his face. “I’d rather do something else with my time, but if Meg wants to tally up sins, let’s tally, shall we?”

She bound Meg to the floor with her vines. They glowed, searing Meg’s soul, and she cried out from the unbearable sensation.

“On top of trying to murder me, you got the others killed, and if I hadn’t survived your  _brave heroics_ , we’d all still be dead!” Persephone’s aura fluctuated.

Meg raised an eyebrow. “ _You_ saved the world?”

“Yes, despite Hercules getting the credit.” Persephone laughed. “However, once the word spreads of how he murdered his darling wife and son, his reputation will be ruined, and the mortal world will learn to fear me.”

“Son?” Meg’s eyes widened. “No. Not Creon.”

“See for yourself.” Persephone waved her hand over the crystal orb.

An image of Hercules appeared. It looked like he had come to his senses but much too late. He cradled their dead son in his arms while weeping Meg’s name over and over.

“No. No!” Meg shook her head. “My baby!”

Her wails filled the room, and she didn’t care that Hades and Persephone were watching with amused expressions. She could handle becoming a slave again, even being separated from Hercules forever, but not the loss of her son. Creon was the only thing she did right with her life.

“Oh, Meg, Meg, Meg, seein’ you like this is so movin’, so heart-wrenchin’, so–” Hades grinned. “Worth it. Sorry, but I can’t have yet another one of Zeus’ progeny ruinin’ my plans.”

Snapping her fingers, a ghostly bassinet appeared next to Persephone. She reached inside and pulled out the screeching infant.

Meg wriggled in her restraints. “Let go of him, you bitch!”

“Language.” Persephone gave her a condescending sneer. “There’s a child present.”

“I don’t give a damn.” Meg glared at her. “Get your fucking hands off him!”

“Well, with behavior like that, I feel taking him from you is for the best.” She lightly bounced Creon in her arms and cooed, “Yes, I know. Meg’s a terrible mother, isn’t she? It’s okay. I promise to have you reincarnated into more capable hands.”

Persephone hummed a little tune, calming him down. Creon smiled and babbled at her.

“Aw, look at that. He likes me.” She placed him back in the bassinet. “Don’t worry, baby. Auntie’s going to take good care of you, yes she will.”

“Please, I beg you. Spare my son.” She bowed at Hades’ feet as much as her restraints would allow. “I’ll do anything. Just let him go.”

“Grovelin’ now, Nut-Meg?” Hades scoffed. “Livin’ with Jerkules has made you soft.”

“But we can still make a deal, right?” Meg said.

“No.” Persephone smiled. “You and your bundle of joy are  _mine_ this time.”

Meg gasped, seeing her own corpse appear beside her. Persephone walked over to her and placed one hand on her and the other on the corpse. It was like being hit with a splash of cold water, and the next thing Meg knew, she was back in her body. However, she felt numb, like she was disconnected from her physical form. Looking down at herself, her skin was still pale with a tint of blue from being suffocated.

“Congratulations, you’re undead,” Persephone said. “Lust! Vanity!”

Two imps appeared that Meg hadn’t seen before.

“Yes, my Lady?” Lust said.

“Did you finish with our other guests?” Persephone said.

Vanity nodded. “Yep. Dumped them above ground like you told us.”

She smiled. “Excellent. Now please escort Meg to my laboratory and lock her in one of the containment units. I think I’ve finally found the perfect guinea pig.”

“What…?” Before Meg could say anymore, she was whisked away by the imps.

….

Persephone sighed while she watched Lust and Vanity drag Meg away. She never guessed that things would’ve gotten this out of hand, but at least she worked the situation in their favor.

Hades wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck. “Angel-face, have I mentioned how amazin’ you are?”

“All the time.” She leaned back against him. “Now, I need to figure out what to do about my mother. I’ve been putting this off for too long.”

She pulled away from him and walked over to the her crystal orb. She was tempted to check on her mother, but decided against it. The day had already been stressful enough, and she didn’t want to add to it. Waving her hand over the orb, she resealed it within the water lily.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Hades folded his arms. “As fun as it was messin’ with Jerkules, you know Zeus is gonna be pissed.”

“But Hercules said my mother was losing it.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Of course, it didn’t help that you gave her the wrong impression on Olympus.”

“Trust me, Persephone. Your mother’s gonna hate me regardless of what I do, especially after she learns the truth about us,” he said.

“Don’t remind me. I don’t even know where to get started with that conversation.” She groaned. “But I need to see her. I’ll be really careful. I promise.”

“Alright, if it’s that important, but make sure you take the imps.” He walked over to her. “I don’t want you goin’ up there alone.”

“Thank you.” She looked up. “Pain and Panic?”

Pain waddled over from balcony. “Yes, your scornfulness?”

“Do you need us to escort you now?” Panic said.

“No. Pay a visit to my mother, and tell her I’ll be visiting in about two days.” She smiled. “Oh, and do remember to disguise yourselves unless you want to be turned into worm food.”

“You got it, Boss Lady.” The two of them saluted her before scurrying off.

Persephone felt Hades’ arms slither around her waist again, and she giggled while he turned her around to face him.

He smirked. “Now, where were we?”

“I think I remember.” She kissed him.


	3. Transcending Reality

Claire awoke to the blaring music in her headphones, its cords entangled around her. Yawning, she sat up. Her bed was covered with paperwork, and she was still in her work clothes. Sighing, she unraveled herself and left to get cleaned up.

It had been three weeks since, what news reports titled: _The Rift._ Some saw it as a strange phenomena, or possibly a warning of global climate change. Others saw it as a foreshadowing of the end, and soon the sidewalks were filled with religious fanatics begging anyone who’d listen to repent. 

_Even my co-workers are buying into the hype._ Claire stepped into the shower and let the hot water run over her.  _It feels like I’m the only one who knows the truth._

Since  _The Rift_ , she spent her time researching everything she could about Hades. Most of what she found were the same old myths that she knew, some were analysis blogs, and the last few, a bunch of online fictions. Her search became fruitless, but she couldn’t stop. She needed a hint, a clue that proved what she experienced was real.

Claire returned to her bedroom and changed into some fresh clothes. She brushed her hair back into a ponytail, but before she could begin re-organizing her bed, her cellphone rang.

She rushed over to her desk and answered it. “Hello?”

“Hey, Claire. Got a minute?” a male said.

“Oh? David.” She smiled. “I’ve got plenty of time. What’s up?”

“Well… I’m calling to tell you that I won’t be able to make it tonight.”

She furrowed her brow. “Are you okay? Did something happen?”

“No, I’m fine. I just don’t think this is working out.” He sighed. “I’m looking for someone to settle down with, and you’re too busy fighting bio-terroism.”

“But I’m not busy all the time. We can work this out,” Claire said.

“You completely disappeared for the last couple of weeks, and do you really expect me to believe you’re out there fighting zombies?” He groaned, and Claire could tell that he was rubbing his forehead in frustration. “I know protecting people from a few hazardous spills isn’t that glamorous, but you could at least be honest about it.”

“What?” She gasped. “But everything I told you about Umbrella and my past is true. I’d never lie to you about something like that, David.”

“Then why hasn’t any of the stuff you’ve mentioned been on the news? There’s no such thing as zombies or monsters, Claire, and if you can’t tell the truth, then we’re done.” He hung up.

Claire remained still while the dial tone echoed in her ear.  _Just like that. Another relationship ruined because of my work. I don’t even know why I bother anymore._

She slammed the phone down an collapsed on her bed, not caring that she was ruining her paperwork. They had been dating for a year, and she was so certain he was going to be the one.

Obviously, if he couldn't be bothered to believe me about something so serious, then good riddance. Hearing a knock at the door, she looked up. _Strange. I wasn’t expecting any visitors today._

Heading to the door, Claire looked through the peephole and saw a teenaged girl with short, black hair. She was wearing a band t-shirt with ripped jeans, and bounced on her heels of her sneakers, an eager expression on her face. Smiling, Claire unlocked the door and opened it.

The girl gave her a salute. “Good morning, Ms. Redfield. Moira Burton reporting for duty.”

“Moira, what are you doing here?” Claire said.

Her smile dropped, and she gave an aggravated sigh. “My dad’s been giving me shit again, and I needed some space.”

Claire leaned against the doorway with her arms folded. “What did Barry do this time?”

“Same old, same old.” Moira glanced away. “Is it alright if I crash with you for the weekend?”

“Come in.” Claire stepped back, letting her through. “But I’ll have to call your folks. Don’t want them freaking out.”

“Got it covered. I left them a note.” Moira glanced her over and raised an eyebrow. “You okay? You seem a little down?”

She shook her head. “Nothing for you to worry about. Anyway, I need to finish up a few things, and then we can have breakfast at the park.”

“Sounds good to me.” Moira followed her into her bedroom. “So how’s work? I mean everyone’s gone fucking bonkers after  _The Rift_ .”

“You don’t know the half of it. I’m lucky I was able to get some time off.” Claire sat in front of her computer and began typing up an email.

Moira noticed several article clippings on the wall. “What’s all this?” She squinted to read some of the fine print. “Hades, Lord of the Underworld?”

“Uh, it’s a side project I was assigned to.” Claire sighed.  _I feel like I’ve become obsessed with this, but no one would believe me if I told them I met a Greek god._

“Major irony. We just started lessons on Ancient Greece in my history class.” Moira sat on the bed and set her backpack on the floor. “Not a fan. All of those myths have too much weird shit going on.”

“Don’t have to tell me.” Claire sent her email. “Let’s go. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”

The two of them left the apartment complex. It was a warm, autumn day, and the sun was shining bright in the sky. Getting into the car, Claire drove them into town and made a stop at the local deli. From there, they headed to the city park and found an empty bench.

“So how are you doing in school?” Claire said.

Moira shrugged. “Good enough. But, come on, it’s high school. Everyone spends more time getting shit-faced or fucking in the bathroom than they do learning anything.”

Claire raised an eyebrow. “And is that what you’re doing?”

“Get real. All that shit causes too much drama, and I already have enough to deal with at home.” She took a bite out of her bagel.

Claire nodded and continued eating. It seemed so long ago when her only problems were trying to do well in school.  _Then I turned nineteen, and my whole life changed._

Eight years. She had made a career out of fighting the undead for almost a decade. At no point in her youth did she believe this would be her fate.

Claire glanced around, feeling like someone was watching them. A few yards away, she spotted a woman lurking under the shadow of a tree. The only detail she could make out was an eyepatch, and she gasped, recalling her dream.

Hades was long gone, but Claire had been captured and tossed into a cell. She waited for Wesker to take his revenge, but he never did. Instead, the woman with the eyepatch paid regular visits, and did everything she could to torment Claire.

“Are you okay?” Moira said.

Claire leaned toward her and whispered, “Moira, we need to leave.”

“What? But we just came–” She paused, seeing Claire put a finger to her lips.

“There’s someone watching us.” Claire didn’t want to let on how terrified she was, but she knew her tone gave it away.  _That woman has to be the same person, but does that mean my dreams were real?_

When she glanced back, the woman was gone. She rescanned the perimeter of the park, but didn’t see her anywhere. Standing, Claire motioned Moira to follow her.

“What’s going on?” Moira stood.

“The woman disappeared,” Claire whispered. “Come on.”

However, when they reached the parking lot, Claire’s car was missing. She glanced over the spaces before furrowing her brow.

“I know it was right here,” Claire said.

“Shit, did someone jack your car?” Moira shifted her gaze from the empty space to Claire. “Let’s call it in.”

“I’ll worry about it later. We need to go.” Claire led Moira out of the park and down a shortcut through an alleyway.

Halfway through, a bright light appeared in front of them, and they stopped in their tracks while shielding their eyes. When the light dispersed, Claire saw the woman standing before them.

“Hello, Redfield,” the woman said.

Moira stepped back. “What’s with the special effects? What are you? Some kind of magical pirate?”

The woman shook her head. “My name is Galenia Rodriguez, and I suppose you could consider me a puppet master of sorts.”

Claire reached for her gun, but realized she left it at her apartment. “And let me guess, you’re planning on making us your new dummies?”

“You catch on quick.” Galenia smirked. “You see, Redfield, the balance of power in the world is about to change for the better, but I need you two in the right place, at the right time.”

Reaching into the hourglass at her side, Galenia threw a stream of sand at Claire and Moira. They both ducked, expecting the attack to be fatal, but nothing happened.

“What the hell?” Moira furrowed her brow. “That’s the best you can do? Throw dirt at us?”

Galenia winked and disappeared.

Claire moved to help Moira. “Come on, we need–”

A white light engulfed them, and they vanished from the alleyway. It felt like the world was swirling around them before they crash landed onto rough ground. Claire groaned and took a moment to regain her bearings before standing up.

“This is why I don’t go on fucking roller coasters.” Moira stumbled a bit, but used the wall for support. “Where are we? Where’d that bitch go?”

They were in an alleyway, but it wasn’t the same as before. The ground was plain dirt instead of solid pavement, and the buildings were rustic with Grecian columns? Claire stepped closer to the street and gasped. Everything looked straight out of a history book. The buildings were of the same ancient architecture, the citizens wore traditional attire, and the road was littered with horse-drawn chariots.

Moira stood next to her. “What the–”

“Come on.” Claire took Moira by the hand and led her back into the alleyway.

However, when they tried to leave the way they came, they were met with a stone wall from one of the other buildings.

“What’s going on?” Moira said.

“I don’t know.” Claire continued to examine their surroundings. “But I think she teleported us into Ancient Greece.”

“But that’s impossible,” she said.

“When you’ve been in my line of work, you’ll learn anything is possible.” Claire furrowed her brow.  _Everything that happened was real. It has to be._

Moira shook her head. “A bunch of scifi freakizoids sure, but some chick with voodoo-witch powers? No fucking way.”

Claire folded her arms. “Hello, didn’t you see that woman teleport right in front of us?”

“That was probably some smoke and mirrors parlor trick.” Moira retrieved her cellphone. “I’m calling for help.”

She dialed her home number and put it on speaker. It rang three times, and then gave a dull  _“beep”_ like it was going to voicemail. Instead of hearing Barry’s goofy recording, they heard the cackling voices of three, elderly women.

_“We’re sorry. The service you’ve requested hasn’t been invented yet. Please try again in about three thousand years.”_

Evil laughter echoed from the phone, making Moira scream and chuck it at the wall. It shattered on impact, and the debris fell into a pile of hay.

“What the fuck! Shit! Fucking technology!” Moira backed away. “God!”

“Calm down, Moira.” Claire put a hand on her shoulder. “We need to keep a level head if we’re going to figure this out.”

_“Bad reception, child?”_

Claire and Moira looked around before seeing three figures, draped in black cloaks appear before them. When they revealed their faces, they looked like corpses, but Claire knew better. However, she kept her guard up, just in case.

Moira retreated until she planted against the wall. “Wha… what the fuck are–?”

“You?” The middle one plucked the eyeball from her sister. “We’re the Fates, child. I am Clotho, and these are my sisters, Atropos and Lachesis.”

Claire’s eyes widened. “You mean the Moirai? You can see the Past, Present, and Future, and you control everyone’s lives through the Tapestry of–”

“Fate.” Atropos nodded. “Correct, my dear.”

“Claire, don’t tell me you’re buying into this? It could be a trick,” Moira said.

“Don’t worry, child. All will make sense in time.” Lachesis held out her hand. “Until then, something to aid you both during your stay.”

In her palm were two vials filled with a clear liquid.

“What is that?” Claire said.

“Well, as they say, when in Greece, do as the Grecians do.” Clothos chuckled. “Just drink these, and you’ll have an easier time finding what you’ve been searching for. Or should I say  _whom_ ?”

“What?” Claire gasped.  _Are they talking about Hades?_

“Yes, but take heed, my dear. Awful misfortunes befall those whom covet a heart that does not beat for them,” Lachesis said.

“Good luck.” Taking the eye, Atropos tossed it into the air, and the three of them disappeared within it.

“I would say I’m dreaming, or I’m going crazy.” Moira looked at Claire while digging her hands into her hair. “What are we going to do?”

“No, this is real.” Claire looked at the vials in her hand.

Why did the Fates give her this? It had to be for a reason, and it seemed like they knew about her involvement with Hades. There had to be a reason.

_What did they mean about a heart that doesn’t beat for me?_ Claire opened one of the vials.

“You’re not seriously thinking about drinking that, are you?” Moira walked over to her. “Those could be drugs. Next thing you know, we’ll wake up in some dark, creepy basement with our kidneys missing.”

_There has to be a reason._ Claire smiled. “Come on, Moira, have a little faith.”

Claire drank every last drop of the vials contents. There was a slight tingly sensation, but after that she felt fine.

“Are you okay?” Moira said.

“I think so, but I can’t tell what it did.” Claire looked at the scroll on the wall.

The Greek letters rearranged until she could read them.

“Harvest Festival in the town square at sundown.” Claire gasped. “I can read Ancient Greek.”

Moira furrowed her brow. “What? How?”

“I think it was this stuff the Fates gave us,” she said.

“Here. Let me see.” Moira snatched the second vial and swigged it down. She cringed from the after taste before looking at the poster herself. “Hey, you’re right. But why?”

“I don’t know, but at least we’ll be able to communicate.” Claire looked toward the alleyway. “Let’s go, and make sure to stay close to me, okay?”

“Got it.” Moira nodded.

Taking a deep breath, Claire held her hand and led her out of the alleyway. She didn’t know what would happen, but she knew she had to keep Moira safe. Barry would never forgive her if she didn’t.

They stepped out into the crowds and made their way down the road. Claire hoped to keep a low profile, but it was impossible given how they were dressed. Some of the citizens gave them strange looks and even muttered to each other, but thankfully no one approached them. They would have to find disguises later.

“Where do you think we are?” Moira said.

“Good question.” Claire examined the area.

The place was fairly large, so it had to be a city, or city-state, as Claire recalled from her research.

“Maybe we could ask–” Claire let out a small scream when a man in a large, over-cloak jumped in front of her. “Hey, what are you doing?”

“Welcome, ladies. I can tell you’re not from around here, so perhaps I can interest you in something useful?” The man ripped opened his cloak.

Moira shielded her eyes. “Fuck off, flasher! No one wants to see that!”

Claire was about to tell the guy off until she realized he was fully dressed and smuggling golden sundials under his cloak.

“So can we strike a deal?” The man smirked.

“No thanks, buddy. Peddle your junk somewhere else.” Claire took Moira and stepped around the guy.

They continued on their way and passed an alleyway. Claire felt someone grab her arm, and turning, saw a gruff, burly man. He sneered down at her with rotten teeth, his foul breath stinging her nose. She tried to yank herself out of his grip, but he was too strong.

“Where do you think you’re going, sweetheart?” he said.

Hearing chuckling, Claire noticed that the guy had friends lurking behind him.  _Great._

“Hey, back off loser.” Moira glared at the thug. “We’re just minding our business.”

“Yeah, well now you’re  _our_ business, cutie.” A skinny thug laughed.

“Sorry, I only date guys who know what hygiene is.” Claire pulled out her pocket knife and sliced the larger thug’s forearm.

The thug screamed and released her. “You bitch!”

Snarling at her, he tried to punch Claire, but she dodged and sped off with Moira in tow.

He looked back at his comrades. “What are you waiting for? Get them!”

“Great, now we have a bunch of psychos after us,” Moira said, trying to keep up.

Claire nodded to her. “Don’t worry. We’ll lose them.”

They bobbed and weaved through crowds before rushing into the busy street. They made it to the other side without getting run over, but the man just stomped his way through, not caring about the colliding chariots around him. His friends followed closely behind, their beady eyes searching in every direction.

“Now what?” Moira said.

Claire searched for a place to hide and spotted a chariot with a cart of hay parked on the side. “There. Hurry.”

They ran toward the carriage and dived into the hay, making sure they were good and hidden.

“Ugh, it smells.” Moira covered her nose.

“Shush.” Claire put a finger to her lips.

Hearing footsteps, Claire and Moira went still.

“Where’d they go? I’ll strangle that stupid wench!”

“I think they went this way!”

“Hurry up! Get them!”

The voices faded, and everything quieted down besides the noises from the bustling crowds.

Claire sighed.  _So much for keeping a low profile._

The cart shook a little before moving into the street. Claire and Moira remained silent while they were carried off to a new location, and eventually fell asleep from exhaustion.

Many hours passed before Claire opened her eyes. The cart had stopped moving, and when she peered through the hay, she saw it was dark outside.

We should get out of here before someone else finds us. Claire shook Moira. “Wake up.”

She groaned and furrowed her brow. “Not now, Polly.”

“It’s Claire. We need to get a move on.” She pinched Moira on the shoulder. “Now.”

Moira jolted awake. “Ow. What was that for?”

“Shush.” Claire gestured outside. “Let’s go.”

Sneaking out of the cart, Claire saw they had been brought out into the country side. Not too far off was a farmhouse with a pen of livestock bordering it.

“What I wouldn’t give for a flashlight,” Moira said.

Claire narrowed her eyes and was amazed at how dark it was. Without the modern connivence of street lamps and illuminated cityscapes, the only thing they had to rely on was the moon and stars above.

She sighed. “We’ll have to get used to it. Come on, let’s head into the forest.”

“Are you crazy? We don’t know what could be lurking in there,” Moira said.

Taking a moment to think, Claire considered their options. It probably wasn’t a good idea to wander about the forest. She was used to unpredictable danger but Moira wasn’t. However, they were outsiders in an Ancient world. She could place them in worse danger from mingling with the locals.

“We need somewhere to hide until morning.” Claire shook her head. “I don’t want to risk angering anymore people.”

“Is someone there?”

Looking in the direction of the voice, Claire saw an elderly farmer standing outside of the house with a torch in hand.

“Come on.” Claire grabbed Moira’s hand and ran into the forest.

Once they were deep enough, they slowed their pace. As dark as it was, the forest was actually quite serene.

“I can’t believe this.” Moira folded her arms. “We’re actually back in ancient times? There’s no way we’ll be able to find a way home. And who’s going to help us? We’re alone out here.”

Claire stopped walking.  _This can’t be another dream, could it? It doesn’t feel like it, but neither did the other one. But if this is real…?_

Moira put a hand on her shoulder. “Hey, are you okay?”

“Maybe there is someone who can help us.” Claire bit her lip, unsure of how to word the information. “I know this is going to sound crazy, but during  _The Rift_ , I had this strange dream. In it, I met the God of the Underworld.”

Moira groaned. “Great, now you’re telling me Greek gods exist?”

“I didn’t believe it at first either, but it’s true,” Claire said. “We just met the Fates, so the rest of them have to around here somewhere.”

“Wait a minute.” Moira raised an eyebrow. “Is that why you had all that stuff about Hades in your apartment?”

“Yes. I should’ve written it off as just a dream, but I couldn’t.” Claire glanced around. “And now we’re here.”

“And what makes you think some god is going to help us?” Moira said.

“It’s the best chance we have.” Claire sat on the ground. “For now, let’s get some rest.”

“I can’t believe I have to sleep in the dirt.” Moira groaned.

Claire chuckled. “Hey, it could always be worse.”

On cue, a clash of thunder sounded around them, and a downpour followed that instantly drenched them to the bone.

Moira narrowed her eyes. “You just had to fucking say it, didn’t you?”

….

Leon stared at the newspapers on his kitchen counter and rolled his eyes at the exaggerated headlines.

_If only they knew._ He took a sip of coffee before returning to his desk.

It was buried under articles and notes about Persephone. After surviving  _The Rift_ and dealing with the Wilpharma scandal, Leon had inquired the others if they had noticed anything strange during the event.

Claire had acted nervous and denied all of his questions. Chris and Jill couldn’t recall anything peculiar beyond their helicopter crash. However, Jill mentioned that they confronted Wesker, and he had created a new tyrant: T-201 Persephone. When Leon pressed further, Jill informed him that she had lost the data in the crash.

_But it proves Persephone is real._ Leon glanced at the mythology articles.  _I don’t why, but I can’t get her off my mind._

It was as though Persephone had this draw to her, and like a moth, he was captivated by her flame. He felt like their chance meeting in his dreams had intertwined their fates, and he was certain they’d cross paths again.

Hearing his cellphone ring, Leon answered it and smiled. “Right on time, Hunnigan.”

An image of a young woman appeared on the screen and nodded to him. Good morning, Leon. It took some digging, but I was able to find the information you were looking for. I’ll send you the files now.”

His fax machine beeped, printing out five pages, and he retrieved them before returning to his desk. Two were immigration reports, one a birth certificate, one a marriage certificate, and the last an identification report.

“It appears your Persephone was real. The immigration reports state that she and her mother came to America in 1987,” Hunnigan said.

Leon glanced the reports over. The first showed a young, redhead woman, who looked fairly pregnant. Her name slot read, Willow Chlorós. The second had the photo of a little girl who couldn’t be older than two, but he could tell she had to be the same person.

“Persephone Chlorós. What? Her birth date was in 1985? But–” He furrowed his brow.

The Persephone he met was a full grown woman, who had claimed to be a survivor of the Raccoon City incident.

“She would’ve been thirteen back then,” Leon muttered. “How?”

“Something wrong?” Hunnigan said.

He shook his head. “No, I’m fine. What about the rest of this?”

“The birth certificate is for Persephone’s sister, Despoina Chlorós, who was born not long after they settled in Maine. Their mother, Willow, married a young police officer by the name of, Nicholas Spiros. He was soon transferred to Raccoon City where the family remained until… well, you know. Unfortunately, there are no records of any of them surviving the outbreak,” Hunnigan said.

“I see. Thank you, Hunnigan.” Leon stared at the files.  _They’re all dead, but Persephone survived somehow._

“Are you sure you’re okay, Leon?” Hunnigan’s concerned tone echoed through the speaker. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“You could say that.” He looked at the screen. “Hunnigan?”

Static filled the screen, and the connection broke. He tried to call her again, but he couldn’t get through.

“What’s going on?” Leon said.

“So you wish to see the girl?”

Turning around, Leon saw a woman lingering in the doorway of the kitchen. Her slick, black hair hung down around her frame, and she wore a long, victorian dress coat that reached past her knees. Leon’s gaze drew to her eyepatch before standing up, his hand reaching for his gun.

“Who are you?” he said.

The woman laughed, a devious glint in her eye. “Here. Allow me to grant your wish.”


	4. A Mother's Heart

“Do you even know where we’re going?” Moira shivered and huddled her arms around herself.

It had taken them two hours to find shelter, and Claire hadn’t been able to find any dry wood to build a fire. Even now a thick layer of clouds coated the morning sky, and a bitter wind washed over the forest.

“No, but we need to find some food.” Claire sneezed and rubbed her nose. _Not to mention proper shelter and clothes._ _If we stay out here any longer, we’ll drop from hypothermia._

“You’re telling me.” Moira clutched her grumbling stomach. “That’s what I get for not packing any snacks in my beg, but I doubt anyone takes American money.”

“Then we’ll have to give hunting a try,” Claire said.

Moira groaned. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

It wasn’t long before they reached a fork in the road. Sitting in the intersection was a worn, wooden sign that pointed in various directions.

“Looks like there’s a few villages nearby.” Moira looked at Claire. “Which way do you want to go?”

“Let me see….” She examined the sign.  _How would we find the Underworld? Maybe I could beseech Hades?_

Lightning flashed across the sky, but it wasn’t a simple streak of light. Multiple bolts surged through the clouds in sporadic, angry bursts, and another downpour broke out.

“Seriously?” Moira used her backpack to cover her head. “Is it going to storm the entire time we’re here?”

Claire raised her hands and looked toward the sky. “Hades, Lord of the Underworld, I beseech you!”

“What the hell you doing?” Moira said.

“I’m getting us some help.” Claire furrowed her brow. “Did I do it wrong? Maybe he didn’t hear me.”

“Claire, you’re starting to freak me out.” Moira walked over to her and grabbed her wrists. “The Greek gods are nothing but a bunch of myths, and even if they were real, our Christian god doesn’t appear in front of us as a real person. Why would these guys be any different?”

“The Fates did, along with Galenia,” Claire said.

Giving an aggravated groan, Moira let go of Claire and dropped her hands to her sides. “That Galenia woman could’ve simply knocked us out and this is all some kind of weird hallucination.”

“No, this is real.” Claire looked around. “It has to be.”

Moira sighed. “Okay. Say you’re right. Is this Hades even a good person? What makes you so sure that he’ll help us?”

“He’s–” Claire shook her head. “My experience with him has been shaky, but if we keep wandering out in the open like this, it won’t be long until we meet him anyway.”

Moira sneezed and wiped her nose with the bottom of her shirt. “I still don’t like this.”

“Well, you’re going to have to trust me.” Claire put a hand to her chin and pondered for a minute. “What am I doing wrong? Wait, he’s in the Underworld. Duh.”

“Claire, stop,” Moira said.

Kneeling down, Claire hit the ground with her fist. “Lord Hades? It’s me, Claire Redfield. Can you hear me?”

Hearing something  _ pop _ , she looked up and saw a bright, red flower sprout at the base of the sign. In an instant, she became entranced by the flower and was overcome with an urge to pick it.

“What are you doing?” Moira said.

Ignoring her, Claire walked over to the sign and reached down.

“Listen to me. We shouldn’t mess with this,” Moira said.

Claire plucked the flower from its home and smiled, her curiosity satisfied.

Moira ripped the flower from her hand and threw it into the bushes. “Stop. Please. You’re not going to be happy until we get in serious trouble.”

A tremor rumbled across the ground.

“What the fuck was that?” Moira looked around.

A second tremor followed.

“Might be an earthquake.” Claire frowned. “We need to find cover. Let’s go!”

A third tremor shook the ground so forcefully that it felt like it came from the core of the earth, and losing their balance, Claire and Moira tumbled onto their sides. The ground split and crumbled underneath them, and they fell through the large chasm it created.

They plummeted for miles through a never ending void, and soon the comforting light of the world above vanished, leaving them in darkness. It seemed like they would be trapped in an eternal free fall, but with a sudden jolt, they suspended in the air for a few seconds before dropping onto solid ground.

“Fucking shit on a stick.” Sitting up, Moira groaned and rubbed her head. “Where the hell are we? The center of the earth? I can barely see a thing.”

“Possibly.” Claire blinked a few times, her eyes readjusting.

Soon she was able to make out their surroundings and saw that they were in a very large, cave area. She couldn’t tell how high the ceiling reached, for the cavern walls stretched up and onward into the misty fog above. The air was thick and muggy, almost like being in a hot house, and Claire could feel her skin break out into a sweat.

“At least we’re still alive.” Claire dusted herself off and wiped her forehead with her sleeve.

“Ugh, it’s like a sauna in here.” Moira fanned herself. “Now what are we going to do?”

“We’ll just have to find a way out.” Claire searched the area and found a clear path. “This way, and stay close to me.”

….

Persephone stood before the large grotto in the center of her mother’s meadow. The residence was a modest size, but the pure marble walls and pillars suggested someone of importance lived there. However, she hesitated to go any further. Her heart throbbed in her chest, and nothing she tried calmed her nerves. It didn’t help that a violent storm was raging across the sky.

_ Well, Zeus is definitely pissed _ . Persephone sighed.  _ Everything will be fine. If you run into any trouble, you’ll deal with it. _

“Are you alright, my lady?” Lust said.

She looked at the imps. “I’m fine. Just a little anxious.”

Panic folded his arms. “Maybe we should head back? This trip is too risky for my liking.”

Pain nodded. “None of us can fight a god, let alone Zeus.”

“Hey, we’ve gotten this far.” Vanity rolled his eyes. “Don’t chicken out now.”

“Just back me up when I need you guys, okay? But for now, make yourselves scarce. I don’t want my mother freaking out too soon,” Persephone said.

“Got it, Boss Lady.” Pain and Panic transformed into field mice and scurried away.

Lust took Vanity by the hand, and they wandered into the bushes. “We’ll keep an eye out in case a certain thunder god has decided to track you.”

Persephone returned her attention to the front door, and heaving a deep breath, made her way up the stairs. She knocked, and at first, heard nothing. A few moments later, heavy footsteps fluttered toward the door.

“Who’s there?” Demeter called from the other side.

“Mother, it’s me. Persephone.” She removed her hood.

The door swung open, crashing into the wall with a loud clank, and Persephone’s eyes widened at her mother’s appearance. Hair disheveled and greasy, wrinkled clothes that had been left unwashed for weeks, and dark bags under her tired eyes that crinkled as Demeter smiled.

“Oh, Kore. My baby.” She enveloped Persephone in a tight embrace. “I’m so glad you’re alright. I was worried sick.”

Feeling her ribcage collapse, Persephone choked out a gasp. “Mother, I can’t breathe.”

Demeter pulled away. “Sorry, dear. How in Gaia’s name did you escape that monster? Oh, no matter. The important thing is that you’re home, safe and sound. Now, let’s get you out of this storm.”

Before Persephone could catch her breath, and possibly examine her ribs for any bruises, her mother dragged her inside and down the hall. The place looked like anything that wasn’t attached to the floor had been strewn about in a fit of rage, and Persephone had to be careful not to trip over the debris.

Sensing her concern, Demeter glanced back. “Don’t mind the mess, Kore. Mommy has been out of sorts in your absence, but everything is fine now.”

Reaching the living quarters, her mother guided her to a small table and had her sit down. Normally, the room was filled with sunlight, but now it was shrouded in shadows that were amplified by the roaring fireplace.

“Please eat something, dear.” Waving her hand, Demeter summoned a platter of food onto the table. “Honestly, did that monster ever feed you? You’re practically skin and bone.”

Persephone rolled her eyes. “Mother, we’ve been through this. Just because I don’t walk around looking like a bloated tick doesn’t mean I don’t eat.”

“Kore, don’t be so stubborn.” Demeter looked at her clothes and frowned. “And what do you think you’re doing wearing such a form fitting dress? No wonder you’ve gotten into so much trouble.”

_ Here we go. _ Persephone groaned and muttered in a bitter tone, “Yeah, I know. Everything is my fault.”

“Don’t take that attitude with me, Kore.” Demeter folded her arms. “Now, wait here. I have a few extra things to retrieve.”

Persephone watched her mother vanish from the room and sighed. So far this visit was already tense, and she wasn’t sure how long it would last if her mother kept nitpicking at her. However, the young goddess was brought out of her thoughts by a familiar jingle.

_ “Aphrodite! The Goddess of Love!” _

Voices followed, and Persephone furrowed her brow when she saw her mother return to the room with Artemis, Athena, Hestia, and Aphrodite in tow.

“Mother, what’s going on?” Persephone said.

“An intervention, dear.” Demeter smiled. “After finding out that you were manipulated by that monster, they agreed to help you once I was able to get you home.”

“Wait a minute.” Persephone stood up. “Mother, this is completely unnecessary.”

“Now don’t fret, hun.” Artemis walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Your ma’s just worried, is all.”

Athena nodded. “She’s right, dearie. It’s beyond me why you allowed yourself to get entangled with Hades’ schemes, but surely you must realize that he’s bad news?”

“Yes, especially after what happened to Hercules.” Hestia placed a hand over her heart and shook her head. “The nerve of Hades. It’s bad enough that he killed the poor boy, but to slaughter his wife and newborn son? I don’t understand how Hades became so ruthless. When we were young, he was completely mellow. Wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

“Well growing up with a shitty family can change a person.” Persephone scoffed. “And what do you mean Hades killed Hercules?”

“You probably don’t know because you were locked up, Kore, but I sent Hercules to rescue you.” Demeter lowered her head. “Unfortunately, Hades got to him first. All that’s left of the boy’s home is a pile of rubble.”

“This is unbelievable.” Giving an aggravated groan, Persephone threw her arms in the air. “I risk everything I have to save the world, and Hercules gets all the praise for it. I slaughter a squad of soldiers and completely destroy a man’s life, and Hades gets the credit? Am I worth nothing to you people!”

Gasps erupted from the other goddesses.

“You?” Demeter stared at her with wide eyes. “But why? How could you?”

“Because the demi-clot and his stupid friends disrespected me and threatened to kill my husband.” Persephone folded her arms. “But I spared Hercules, and we haven’t seen his soul in the Underworld.”

“Well, if ya’ll didn’t kill Hercules, where is he?” Artemis said.

“Hold that thought, Artemis.” Aphrodite stepped forward, her eyes narrowed. “Persephone, what did you say about your relationship with Hades?”

“Relationship?” Demeter looked at the love goddess. “What are you implying?”

“Actually, Mother, that’s what I came up here to tell you.” Persephone kept her tone calm, so everyone would know she was serious. “Everything I told you during the trial was true, although a little exaggerated, but there was something important I left out.”

“Oh?” Demeter raised an eyebrow.

“You see, while I was in the Underworld, Hades and I–” Her gaze dropped to the floor. “We fell in love, and–”

Flower petals swirled around Persephone, and her plain, black dress changed into her royal gown, crown, and all. A two-pronged staff appeared in her hand, and she gave a sheepish smile while mentally preparing for the worst.

“Hades and I are married now. You’re looking at the Queen of the Underworld,” she said.

An unsettling silence fell upon the room. Artemis and Athena looked appalled by the news, their faces scrunched in disgust. Hestia’s brow was furrowed, but she had a small smile of intrigue. Aphrodite had a knowing look in her eyes like she had just confirmed a hunch.

Demeter, however, remained still and blinked a few times, trying to decided if what she was seeing and hearing was real. When Persephone didn’t ease her concerns, her mother’s eyes went as wide as they could go, and her mouth fell ajar. If it were possible, she was sure her mother would drop of a heart attack.

“No!” Demeter shook her head. “How could this have happened! When did this happen!”

“After the massacre when Hades had all of you imprisoned,” Persephone said.

Demeter put a hand over her heart like she had been shot. “How could you do this, Kore? Have you no sense? Hades is a monster, a murderer!”

He’s not a monster.” Persephone sighed. “In fact, he’s proven to be respectful, loving, oh, he couldn’t be more sweet.”

“I’m not hearing this.” Covering her ears, Demeter began to hyperventilate, and she paced back and forth, the leaves in her hat turning autumn shades of red, yellow, and orange. “This has to be a nightmare. I’m going to wake up any minute, and my daughter won’t be standing here telling me that she’s fallen for the Lord of the Dead.”

“Is it not obvious, Demeter?” Athena glared at Persephone. “Your daughter betrayed us to grab power, and what better way than to marry the last available son of Cronus?”

“She’s right. You need to open your eyes, Demeter.” Artemis folded her arms. “Your daughter’s as much of a monster as Hades.”

“How can you two say that!” Demeter whirled around, her nostrils flaring. “Can’t you see that Hades has warped her mind! My baby would’ve never committed the atrocities she has if it wasn’t for him!”

“Hades didn’t do anything to me, Mother. My actions are my own.” Persephone glanced at Athena and Artemis. “And I married Hades for love not power, but a bunch of vestal virgins like you two wouldn’t understand.”

“Stop with this nonsense, Kore.” Demeter grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. “How can you speak so well of that monster? He beat you nearly to death.”

“That was Zeus.” Persephone pulled away from her. “Hades knows never to raise a hand, or a flame for that matter, to me. I don’t tolerate such behavior.”

“Don’t lie.” Demeter met her gaze with teary eyes. “On Mt. Olympus he turned you into some type of demon, and had you slaughter us all.”

“You’re right. He did force everyone’s blood on my hands, which I’ve already chewed him out for, but he didn’t turn me into the creature you saw.” Persephone looked away. “That was someone else.”

“Who?” Hestia said.

“Makes no difference now.” Persephone shrugged. “Anyway, it looks like my mother needs to mull this over. I’m sorry she wasted your time, but now that I’ve said my piece, I’m returning home.”

“You’re not returning to that monster! I forbid it!” Demeter said.

“Mother, calm down.” She sighed. “You’re being irrational.”

“Irrational?” Demeter scoffed. “It’s irrational for a mother to care about the well-being of her child? Hades is dangerous. Whatever he told you is a lie. That bastard can’t love anyone.”

“Then perhaps a test is in order,” Aphrodite said.

“Excuse me?” Demeter looked at her.

“Your daughter thinks the love between her and Hades is true, and you think that creep has her warped by the heartstrings.” Aphrodite waved her hand, and a large quiver of love arrows appeared in front of her. “The solution is to fix her heart. If you make her fall for someone else, she will no longer hold an allegiance with Hades.”

Persephone gasped and held up her hands. “Whoa, wait a minute.”

“Athena, Artemis, seize her!” Demeter said.

Before Persephone could escape, the two goddesses appeared behind her and grabbed her arms. She struggled against them, but they were able to hold her firmly in place. It didn’t help that she didn’t have as much power above ground.

Persephone glared at the goddesses, her teeth gritted. “Come on, this isn’t funny. You don’t have to do this.”

“Clearly we do.” Demeter put a hand to her face. “You’ve lost your way, Kore, but don’t worry. Mommy’s going to fix everything.”

Aphrodite handed the quiver to Artemis. “You have the keen eye around here.”

Artemis summoned her bow and graced one of the love arrows against it. “How many?”

“As many as it takes,” Aphrodite said.

“But who will we have Persephone fall in love with?” Hestia said.

“No one. I won’t allow my Kore to be stolen away by another man.” Demeter stepped aside, so Artemis could have a clear shot. “There is no love stronger than that between a mother and child. Kore will transfer her love for Hades back where it belongs. With me.”

“If you think so.” Aphrodite nodded. “Artemis begin.”

_ This isn’t happening.  _ Persephone continued to struggle, but soon realized it as futile. “Please, I’m begging you. Just let me go.”

“Hush, Kore. This is for your own good,” Demeter said.

Artemis drew the first arrow, and Persephone cringed, preparing for the blow. However, when it struck her heart, there was only a minor string. From what she recalled about love arrows, the intended had an instant change in demeanor upon being hit, but she felt normal.

Persephone smiled. “Nice try, but it didn’t work.”

“Yet.” Artemis drew her bow again.

Two arrows, three arrows, four arrows, no matter how many struck her, Persephone was immune to their influence. Aphrodite watched her with curious eyes. She couldn’t tell if the love goddess was impressed or frustrated by her resistance.

Demeter groaned. “Why isn’t it working? Use another.”

“I’ve already gone through thirty.” Artemis chuckled. “Got admit the girl’s tough.”

“Thanks.” Persephone looked at her mother. “Now will you let me go?”

“No. Not until we get you to come to your senses,” Demeter said.

Athena thought for a minute. “Aphrodite, what about those emergency arrows? They should do the trick.”

“But don’t you think that’s a little extreme?” Hestia furrowed her brow. “Demi, I know you want to help, but we shouldn’t have to torture the poor girl.”

“And what would you know, Hestia?” Demeter narrowed her eyes. “You don’t have children. You’d never understand. Aphrodite, the emergency arrows.”

“Very well.” The love goddess materialized a few large arrows that were the size of rockets. “Be careful with these. You don’t want to risk an overdose.”

“And why not?” Demeter said.

“The heart can only handle so much of one emotion before it becomes overwhelmed.” Aphrodite folded her arms. “If it does, the results will vary. She might fall into comatose, her heart might become numb and cease to feel anything, or she might turn into a moody, brooding mess for a certain amount of time.”

“If it means she won’t love that monster anymore, it’ll be worth it.” Demeter nodded to Hestia and Athena. “Keep her steady.”

Persephone gasped when the emergency arrow struck her heart. This time she felt light-headed and went slack in the goddesses’ arms.

“It’s having an affect. Another!” Demeter said.

The second arrow hit her, and Persephone felt a rush of emotions saturate her whole being. She became dizzy, and her sight filled with blotches.

“Almost there. Third time’s the charm,” her mother cheered.

The final arrow sent Persephone over the edge. Her mind and body felt lucid, and her heart throbbed in agony. Dropping to her knees, she swayed back and forth like she was in a trance.

“Perfect.” Demeter knelt in front of her and cupped her daughter’s face in her hands. “Persephone, Kore, baby. This is your mother. Just focus on me, and everything will be okay.”

Persephone stopped swaying and slowly nodded.

“Good. Now forget about Hades. He does not love you, and you don’t love him. I love you, Kore.” Her mother smiled. “And you love me.”

She nodded again.

“Yes, now say it. Who do you love?” Demeter said.

Persephone was silent.

“Say it, Kore.” Her mother shook her. “Say you love your mother and not that monster.”

Something in Persephone’s mind clicked. “Of course I love you, Mother. You’re my mom. Despite everything, how else can I feel?”

“Good. Now denounce your love for Hades,” her mother said.

Persephone fell silent once more. The arrows hadn’t diminished her affections for Hades. In fact, her love for him felt stronger than ever before, and Demeter’s attempt to sway her only made the young goddess angry.

“No,” Persephone said.

Her mother blinked. “Excuse me?”

“I said no, Mother.” She met her gaze. “I understand that you’re worried about me, which is why I came to visit you in the first place. But Hades is my husband whether you like it or not, and I can’t live under your shadow forever. Why can’t you see that?”

“How can you still prefer the company of that monster over me?” Demeter looked at Artemis. “Another.”

Aphrodite held up a hand. “No. You’ve already given her enough.”

“No, I haven’t.” Demeter stood. “Did you not hear what she said.”

“But–” Hestia shifted her gaze between Demeter and Persephone. “Demi, you need to listen to reason. I know you’re upset, but this isn’t the right way to handle this.”

“My sentiments exactly.” Athena let go of Persephone. “This has gone on for long enough.”

“I agree. Demeter your daughter still loves Hades despite how many arrows I hit her with. It’s time to face facts,” Artemis said.

“Silence! I don’t know why I bothered asking any of you for help!” Demeter snatched one of the arrows and stabbed it into her daughter’s chest.

The second it struck Persephone, she let out an ear-piercing scream and collapsed on the floor.

Hestia gasped. “Demeter, what did you do?”

“What needed to be done.” Demeter glared at them. “If you don’t want to help, then get out! You hear me! Get out!”

“Fine.” Artemis scoffed and sheathed her bow. “I have to visit my temples anyway.”

Athena huffed. “And I need to stop Ares from trying to start a war against Athens again. Good luck with your wayward daughter.”

The two of them vanished from the room.

“Before I go, there’s something I need to say.” Hestia walked over to Demeter. “I’ve looked out for you and the others for some time, and I know the pain you’ve gone through. But this isn’t right. You can’t put the burden of your past on your daughter’s shoulders. You’re going to lose her if you keep this up.”

“Will you stop trying to be mother, Hestia! I didn’t need your advice back then, and I don’t need it now.” Demeter snarled. “Leave!”

Hestia shook her head before vanishing from the room as well.

“You should listen to your sister’s warning, Demeter. I remember what you were like too, and to be honest, you’re a hypocrite for treating Persephone this way,” Aphrodite said.

“A hypocrite?” Demeter gave a high-pitched giggle. “I am only protecting Kore from sharing my fate.”

Aphrodite raised an eyebrow. “But she hasn’t, has she? Hades actually married her, unlike–”

Demeter stomped over to the love goddess and got in her face. “Don’t tell me you’re defending this disgusting union?”

“Don’t misunderstand me.” Aphrodite stood her ground. “I despise Hades, and as far as I’m concerned Persephone is a much of a degenerate criminal as he is. However, I am the Goddess of Love, and I’ll support it no matter where it blossoms.”

“Get out!” Demeter scowled at her.

“When I’m ready.” Aphrodite rolled her eyes, and stepping around Demeter, walked over to Persephone. “There’s still one last thing to see.”

Persephone felt a hand under her chin, and Aphrodite tilted her head from side to side. After a few minutes, the love goddess smiled and let go of her.

“It appears my hunch was correct. When Hades killed me during the massacre, he praised your daughter. Even had the nerve to state she was prettier than me.” Aphrodite frowned. “But during the trial, I sensed a connection between them, and Persephone is able to withstand the influence of my arrows. That only means one thing.”

“What?” Demeter said.

“True love. It’s the strongest bond there is, and somehow those two were able to achieve it.” Aphrodite tilted her head up with confidence and gave the earth goddess a knowing look. “Continue your assault on your daughter, but if Hades’ love for Persephone is as strong as hers for him, all your efforts will fail.”

“Don’t think you can fool me, bitch.” Demeter glared at her. “This is all some ploy, so you can send my Kore back to that death prison out of jealousy.”

“Alright, you got me.” Aphrodite shrugged. “In all my years, true love has proven to be rare in this world, especially amongst our kind. Then this little sprout shows up, and not only achieves it, but wins it from the worst god in the parthenon? She might be a homicidal brat, but she clearly has something special that even I don’t. So yeah, I’m jealous, and so are your, whether or not you admit it.”

Aphrodite’s theme song played, and she vanished from the room. Persephone groaned, still unable to move, but she felt her heart do backflips at the news.

_ True love? I didn’t even know that was a thing. _ She smiled.  _ Wait until Aidi hears this. _

Persephone’s thoughts were interrupted when her mother enveloped her in a tight embrace and sobbed into her hair.

“Kore, how can you love him? Please. Don’t you understand how worried I was?” Demeter whimpered. “I had no idea what was going on. Kore, you’re all I have left, don’t you see?”

Another rush of anger surged through Persephone. While, she could understand her mother’s perspective, that didn’t excuse her mother of her behavior. Adrenaline folded through the young goddess’ veins, and she found the strength to push her mother away.

Demeter fell back. “Kore, what are you doing?”

“Mother….” Persephone struggled to stand and hissed through gritted teeth from the pain of her throbbing heart. “I understand that you’re worried, but you tortured me just to force me to stay with you. I have every right to leave you and never come back.”

“You’re not going anywhere.” Demeter grabbed her wrist. “I don’t care how long it takes. I swear by my name, I will get through to you.”

“Well, we have all eternity, so good luck with that.” Persephone jerked her hand out of her mother’s grip before looking up. “Boys, get in here now!”

In a flash, the imps appeared at her side, and Persephone had to resist rolling her eyes when her mother recoiled from the in disgust.

“Is everything alright, my Lady?” Lust said.

“We need to go.” She cringed at the second rush of anger that flooded her. “Zeus thinks Hades killed Hercules. We have to warn him.”

Persephone headed for the door, ignoring her mother’s pleas to stay. It was clear there was nothing left to say, and at this point her head throbbed with rage.

_ Aphrodite did say an overdose would have side affects.  _ She put a hand to her forehead.

“Persephone, stop! You will not abandon me like your father did!” Demeter said.

Persephone paused, her hand gracing the doorknob, and she slightly turned. “Who cares what he did? I never knew him.”

“Actually, you’ve become quite familiar with him as of late.” Demeter folded her arms, her expression distant. “Zeus and I were in love once, or at least I was. He eventually left me for Hera, but no before leaving me a gift. You.”

Gasps erupted from the imps, their jaws dropping, and Persephone felt every vein in her body run cold. Zeus was her father? The obnoxious, selfish rapist was the one who sired her?

“Hades had told me you and Zeus were involved a long time ago, but I never thought it’d be–” She stared at her mother with wide eyes. “Why did you tell me before?”

“To protect you. Hera doesn’t take kindly to Zeus’ illegitimate children, so I kept you hidden away.” Demeter sighed. “Two years after you were born, I had an incident with Poseidon and became pregnant with your sister. Not too long after, the Fates visited me and said you were to face a special destiny. However, in order to fulfill it, I had to bring you and you sister to the future.”

Persephone remained silent, still shocked by this revelation.

“I disguised us as mortals and moved to a country called America. To keep you and Despoina hidden, I suppressed your godhoods.” Demeter smiled. “Then I met a wonderful mortal named Sam, and we settled down in Raccoon City.”

Persephone stepped forward. “You and my mortal mother are the same person? But you died. You collided with the windshield.”

“No. I awoke in this grotto, and you and Despoina were gone. There was nothing I could do to return, and then a few days later the Fates visited me again. They said they rescued me while leaving you two behind to fulfill your fate.” Tears spilled from Demeter’s eyes. “I screamed at them, demanded to be sent back, but they refused. They also said you’d return to me one day, but you’d be different.”

“You knew about this the whole time?” Persephone narrowed her eyes. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because when I found you, you were nothing but a hollow shell, and Despoina was dead.” Demeter sobbed. “The only way I could cope was pretending it never happened.”

Persephone closed her eyes, her thoughts muddled. It was too much information to take in.

“Of course, because it’s always about you,” she said.

Demeter looked at her. “Excuse me?”

Persephone fought back her tears. “Despoina and I were abandoned in that hellhole of a city to die, and the only thing you can think about if how it affected you?”

“Don’t you start.” Demeter gave her a condescending look. “You don’t understand this yet, but the pain a mother feels when her child is hurt or dead… it’s unbearable.”

“Oh, don’t give me that mother’s love bullshit! I’m the one who had to watch my own little sister get ripped apart in front of me!” Persephone glared at her. “I couldn’t do anything to help her, and now her death is on my head! But who cares, right?  _ You _ were brought to safety, and  _ you _ feel sad!”

Seething, Demeter smacked her across the face. However, Persephone didn’t flinch and ignored her stinging cheek. She stared her mother down, knowing she couldn’t show a sign of weakness or emotion.

“Fuck it.” Waving her hand, Persephone whiplashed her mother across the face with a vine and knocked her to the floor. “Let’s do this your way.”

When Demeter tried to stand, Persephone kicked her back down before striking her again. Her mother tried to retaliate with a web of vines, but she struck the staff into the floor, creating an aura death that killed them off.

“You want to know why I’m choosing Hades over you?” Eyes glowing red, Persephone clenched her right hand around her mother’s neck and pinned her down. “Because unlike you, Hades supported me when I was attacked by Zeus. Because unlike you, he doesn’t treat me like a helpless, little girl. Because unlike you, he was willing to stop being a selfish, manipulative bastard and earn my love and respect!”

Demeter let out a gurgle, making Persephone tightened her grip.

“And because unlike you, Hades didn’t spread a bullshit story all over Greece that makes me look like a fucking fool in front of the mortals!” Scoffing, she slapped her mother. “The Hymn to Demeter? Don’t you make yourself look like the perfect martyr. A scorned mother scouring the land while destroying every innocent life in her wake in order to save her lost daughter. How cute.”

Demeter struggled against her, and Persephone felt her right arm mutate, increasing her strength. As angry as she was, she was tempted to rip her mother to shreds right then and there.

“Meanwhile, I’m reduced to nothing. Just a damsel in distress destined to be tossed back and forth between you and Hades like a damn toy.” She laughed. “After all, why should the mortals is care about my story? My feelings, my problems, or my past?”

Demeter’s eyes widened.

“Fifty years you isolated me in that fucking room to rot in my own mental instability, because it was more important for you not to feel sad because of what happened to Despoina and me. Because it was more important for you to keep up appearances with the other Olympians than protect me from Zeus. Because it’s more important to guilt-trip me into being an obedient daughter, who never leaves you because you don’t want to be alone,” Persephone said.

She released her mother and stood up. Letting out a haggard wheeze, Demeter sat up and hacked all over the floor. Her body shook as she choked on air, but soon her breathing steadied.

“That’s why I’m returning to Hades.” She smiled. “When I found him, it was the first time in such a long time that I had hope and began to heal. Sure we’ve had our ups and downs, but he’s been there for me when it mattered.”

Demeter glared at Persephone and quickly stood to strike her, but Persephone blocked her with a barrier, sending her crashing into the wall.

“Guess I shouldn’t be surprised. You were a piece of shit mom in the future, and you’re a piece of shit mom now.” Turning on her heel, Persephone left the room. “Come on, boys. Let’s go.”

Persephone headed down the hallway, but the door leading outside vanished. A wave of divine energy filled the hallway, that fought Persephone’s own energy. Groaning, she turned around while the imps hid behind her.

“You have so much of your father in you.” Demeter stepped out into the hallway. “Stubborn! Violent! Selfish!”

“And whose fault is that?” She gave Demeter a disgusted look. “Goodbye, Mother.”

Persephone summoned the staff and aimed it at her mother. She could feel Hades’ power flow through it and mix with her own energy. She struck her mother with a large blast, and Demeter hit the wall, falling unconscious.

Quickly spinning the staff around, Persephone struck the floor with the prongs, and a small chasm to the Underworld. “Come on, boys. Let’s hurry.”

She jumped down first with the imps following behind her. It wasn’t long before she reached the bottom, and she landed gracefully on her feet. Lust and Vanity gently floated down with their wings while Pain and Panic crashed to the ground.

Persephone put a hand to her forehead and waited for her eyes to readjust. She still felt a little dizzy from the arrows, but it felt like her anger had subsided.

“You okay, Lady Persephone?” Vanity said.

Panic stood up. “Yeah. What happened back there?”

“Nothing for you guys to worry about.” Persephone smiled. “Let’s go home.”

She made her way down the path and waiting at the end was Hades. He was leaning against the cavern wall, his eyes closed.

Persephone looked at the imps. “Why don’t you guys go on ahead. I want to talk to him alone.”

The imps nodded and gave them their privacy. Smiling Persephone rushed over to him and hugged him.

“Good to see you’re in one piece, babe.” He returned her embrace. “How’d it go?”

Persephone looked at him. “I’ll tell you later. Right now, we’re in trouble.”


	5. Reunion

Claire and Moira’s journey through the dark, underground caverns seemed never ending. Their footsteps echoed through the still air, and there was no sign of life anywhere, which could be good or bad given Claire’s experience. After a few minutes, they heard the sound of rushing water and came upon a large river. It was at least a mile wide, and thousands of souls drifted within its depths.

Moira gasped and stepped back. “What in a moist barrel of fucks?”

“Hold on, this is it.” Claire smiled. “We did. We found the Underworld.”

“Claire, you’re scaring me again. How can you be excited about this? I mean, look at them.” She pointed to the river. “We’re trapped thousands of miles underground with dead people.”

“Nothing I haven’t dealt with before. Don’t worry, Moira.” Claire spotted a skull-shaped building in the distance. “He must be there. Come on.”

They followed the path along the shore, and upon getting closer, Claire saw that the large structure rested in the center of the river. She examined the nearby area, but there didn’t seem to be a way to cross.

“Now, what do we do?” Moira said.

“I don’t know.” Claire stepped to the edge of the river. “Maybe we could swim?”

When she placed her hand in the water, she winced, for the water was so cold that its bitter chill sank into the very marrow of her bones. The sensation ran throughout her body sending several shivers down her spine, and she felt like the life was being drained from her.

“Claire, you hand!” Moira said.

Looking down, Claire gasped and pulled her hand out of the water. Her skin had shriveled, but not in the way one’s skin prunes when expose to water for too long. No, her hand looked like it had aged and belonged on the body of a ninety-year-old woman. However, after a few minutes, her skin reverted back to its youthful firmness.

Moira shifted her gaze from Claire’s hands to the river. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, but it’s safe to say that’s not water.” Claire stood up. “There has to be some way to cross.”

“And what business do two mortals have in the land of the dead?”

Claire turned around and saw a woman approach them. She stood several feet taller, and her long hair was as dark as the night sky. Her skin was black and sleek like pure onyx, and her dress flowed around her like a graceful shadow. Her silver eyes shined like stars amongst her form, and she glanced over Claire and Moira with intrigue.

Claire stood in front of Moira. “Who are you?”

“My name is Nyx.” The woman smiled. “Entity of the Night. And you are?”

“My name is Claire, and this is Moira,” she said.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you both.” Nyx eyed their clothes. “I take it you’re not from around here?”

Claire shook her head. “No.”

“You’re not gonna hurt us, are you?” Moira said.

“Nonsense, child. We obviously don’t get many living visitors down here, so it’s curious why you’re seeking out our Lord and Lady?” Nyx sighed. “Any man foolish enough to confront them ends up dead while any woman wishes she were.”

“Lady? Oh, Hades married Persephone already?” Claire said.

“Well, duh.” Moira raised an eyebrow. “Everyone knows that. I thought you researched this stuff?”

“I know, but he wasn’t when we met, or, at least, he didn’t say anything about it.” Claire sighed. “Anyway, Lady Nyx, if it’s not too much trouble, could you help us across?”

Nyx eyed her again before shrugging. “Sure, why not? Although, I must warn you. My great nephew favors lives more than wealth, and any deal you make with him will cost you more than you’d be willing to give. Also, do your best not to upset the Queen. As the saying goes around here, Hades hath no fury as Persephone scorned.”

Waving her hand, a bridge comprised of stars formed over the river. Some of the souls tried to reach for it, but it was too high.

“They should be in the throne room. If not, I’m sure one of their servants will aid you,” Nyx said.

Claire nodded. “Thank you, Lady Nyx. We really appreciate it.”

Claire and Moira crossed the bridge, and it disappeared once they were on the other side. Nyx gave them a small wave before continuing on her way, and Claire searched the area. They were on a dock and just ahead was a winding staircase.

“Come on, Moira. This way.” Claire headed upstairs.

“I don’t know.” Moira followed her. “Is this really a good idea?”

“We don’t have much of a choice now.” Reaching the top, Claire saw another staircase to the left and a pair of double-doors to the right. “This must be it.”

Walking over to the doors, Claire slowly pulled the right one open until there was a big enough crack. She crouched down and peered into the room. Hades was there, looking exactly as she remembered, and continued to pace back and forth. His brow was furrowed, his gaze turned toward the floor like something was troubling him.

Claire gasped. _It’s really him._

Moira glanced over her shoulder. “Holy fuck, it’s Satan.”

She grabbed Claire by the hand and tried to run for the stairs, but Claire slipped out of her grip.

“What are you doing? We’ve got to go,” Moira said.

“That’s not Satan. It’s Hades.” Claire walked over to the doors. “Now relax and follow me.”

Ignoring Moira’s pleas, Claire opened the door and stepped inside. She was so close. She had to know the truth. If he remembered her then it wasn’t a dream.

“Lord Hades?” she said.

He paused mid-stride, taking a moment to recognize her voice before turning around. His eyes slightly widened, and he glanced her up and down, reassuring himself that she was indeed standing before him.

Claire smiled. “Uh, hi. Strange bumping into you again.”

Hades returned her smile and chuckled. “Well, well, if it isn’t Claire Redfield.”

His left hand turned into a smoky tendril that slithered through the air toward Claire, and she gasped when she felt it cup her chin. She was lifted into the air as though she weighed nothing and was brought closer to him.

“You came all this way to see me?” Hades landed her in front of him, his hand dissipating to normal. “What can I say? I’m flattered.”

Claire shivered at how close she was to him. His thumb gently stroked her cheek, and judging by his smirk, it was hard to tell if he was being serious or just teasing her.

“Hey, let her go, asshole!” Moira rushed into the room.

She tried to project a tough appearance, but her watery eyes and shaky voice gave her away.

“I mean it. If you fucking hurt her, I’ll–” Moira snatched a rock from the floor and held it high above her head. “I’ll use this, and I warn you. I can get very creative.”

“Calm down, Moira. He’s not going to hurt us.” Claire stood in between them. “Hades, this is Moira. As you can see, she’s not taking the whole landing in Ancient Greece thing very well.”

“Oh, you brought a friend with you, babe?” Hades chuckled. “I didn’t know you were into that.”

Moira glared at him. “Back off, pedo-fuck. I’m fifteen.”

“My mistake. That smart mouth of yours made you look older,” he said.

Sighing, Claire walked over to Moira and placed her hands on her shoulders. “Please, Moira. Take a deep breath and relax. Everything will be fine.”

“Like hell it will.” Moira jerked away from her. “How can you even think this is safe? I mean, look at him. It’s nothing like the pictures were were shown in school. He’s fucking satanic.”

“Satanic?” Hades rolled his eyes and scoffed. “Trust me, babe, if I were Mike, you’d know. He’s never been one for small talk, let alone tolerating whiny teenagers.”

“You can’t fool me.” Moira reached into the side pocket of Claire’s pants and pulled out her knife.

Claire turned around and tried to grab the knife, but Moira stepped back. “Stop it. This isn’t necessary.”

“I don’t know what he said or did to make you trust him, Claire, but I refuse to.” Moira looked at Hades. “You hear that you, you demonic bastard! Try anything funny, and I’ll cut you!”

“How dare you threaten our boss, Mortal!”

Claire saw two creatures jump on Moira’s head and shoulder. Judging by their horns, tails, and wings, she was sure they were little devils. Screaming at the top of her lungs, Moira swatted them away and ran to the other side of the room.

“What the fuck!” Moira slid down to the floor and huddled her knees close to herself. “Get away from me, you fucking hell spawn!”

“Alright, enough already!” Hades’ skin turned orange, his flames flaring across his shoulders, and he looked at the creatures. “Pain! Panic! What are you two doing here? You’re supposed to be guarding Persephone!”

“We were, Boss. You told us to leave, so you could have a word with her,” Pain said.

“Uh. No.” Hades glared at them. “I’ve been here the whole time.”

Panic shared a glance with Pain. “But we saw you at the entrance, and–”

A blood-curtailing scream echoed above them. Covering her ears, Claire looked up and saw that it was coming from the blue flowers that adorned the ceiling.

Moira cringed. “What the fuck!”

Hades’ eyes widened, his voice distraught. “Persephone?”

Another scream burst from the flowers followed by Persephone’s agonizing cry, “ _Aidi_!”

“What’s going on?’ Claire said.

“Persephone left to visit her mother, but we’re in the middle of a little family feud right now.” Hades rushed to his map table and waved his hand over it. “Damn it. I knew I shouldn’t have let her go.”

Claire walked over to him. “Well, if she’s in trouble, Moira and I will help you.”

Moira looked at her. “We will?”

“No. I appreciate the thought, Little Red, but I can handle things.” Hades looked at the imps. “Pain. Panic. Escort our guests to the garden.”

Hades vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving Claire and Moira with the two creatures.

Moira quickly returned to Claire’s side and held out the knife. “Don’t you come closer, you little demons.”

“Stop it, Moira.” Claire snatched the knife and re-pocketed it. “So you two work for Hades?”

“I’m Panic.” The green one gestured to himself before pointing to his companion. “And this is Pain.”

Moira narrowed her eyes. “What are you?”

“Imps.” Pain shrugged. “And who do you think you are threatening the Boss like that? Show some respect, Mortal.”

“My name’s Moira, Fatso,” she said.

“And you are?” Panic took Claire by the hand and gave her suave smile.

“It’s Claire.” She pulled her hand out of his grip. “Anyway, we should go after Hades. What if he needs our help?”

“This is Hades’ kingdom. He doesn’t need us.” Pain folded his arms. “Besides, you’d only get in the way.”

“Fine.” Claire sighed. “Show us where this garden is.”

….

_Thirty Minutes Earlier…._

Leon groaned and opened his eyes. His surroundings were almost pitch-black, and it took a while for his sight to readjust.

 _Where am I? In some kind of cave?_ He rubbed his head. _And where’d that woman go?_

Standing up, he looked around and was greeted with an unsettling stillness. He took out his cellphone, but it had no service.

“What the hell his going on?” he said.

_“You could say that you’re having an out of time experience.”_

Cackling echoed throughout the cavern walls, and Leon saw three, cloaked women appear before him. When they revealed their faces, he cringed, for they looked ancient to the point of being decayed.

“Who are you?” He stepped back.

“Unfortunately, there’s no time for chit-chat.” The tallest woman threw something to him.

Leon caught it and looked at his hand. “A vial?”

“This one’s on the house, handsome.” The woman in the middle winked. “Drink it. It’ll help you.”

“Now hurry, young hero. Your destiny awaits,” the shortest woman said.

The mysterious women disappeared in a flash of light, and before Leon could question his situation, he heard a familiar voice scream in distress.

“Persephone?” He furrowed his brow. “Don’t tell me I’m dreaming again? In that case….”

Leon downed the entire vial and coughed from the tingling in his throat. He didn’t feel any different, but hoped that it would help as the strange women suggested. Pulling out his handgun, he followed Persephone’s screams to another part of the endless cavern, but when he found her, he had to duck behind a large boulder. Persephone’s arms and legs were tied down while she struggled to escape the largest man Leon had seen in his life.

“Where is Hercules!” The man pulled Persephone toward him by her hair.

“I don’t know!” She cried, tears streaming down her face.

“Don’t play dumb with me!” He slapped her. “You murdered him along with my grandson!”

“I spared Hercules, and the only reason I messed with him at all was because you sent him to assassinate Hades,” she said.

He snarled. “Why am I not surprised? After all, you’re just my treacherous brother’s whore.”

Persephone lunged forward and bit the man’s nose. Screaming, he ripped her off of himself, but her jaw was clenched so tight that she tore a chunk of his nose off as she fell back.

She spat his ichor in his face. “Fuck you, Zeus! I’m no one’s whore. Hades married me!”

 _Zeus?_ _As in the ruler of the gods?_ Leon’s eyes widened. _How am I gonna fight him off?_

Zeus shoved Persephone down. “Ha! You think being that loser’s wife makes you worth anything? You’re nothing but a whore like your mother, and that’s all you’ll ever be.”

Persephone continued to struggle and scream until Zeus punched her in the face. She went limp underneath him, but Leon saw her eyelids twitch, like she was fighting to stay conscious.

 _I have to act fast._ Leon furrowed his brow. _But_ _I don’t think bullets will do much against a god._

Zeus started tearing Persephone’s dress off, but suddenly reared back at the sound of her ear piercing cry. Leon covered his ears and noticed that she hadn’t moved, but her disembodied voice wailed as though the cavern was filled with loud speakers.

_“Aidi!” Help me!”_

Leon checked his side pack and saw that he had a few flash grenades. Taking one of them, he pulled the pin out and tossed it at Zeus. It exploded with a blinding light before the god could react, and charging forward, Leon used all of his strength to punt Zeus off of Persephone. Zeus tumbled a few feet away, and he seemed to be stunned for the moment.

Groaning, Leon rubbed his shoulder and popped it back into place. He knelt beside Persephone and shook her, but she was unresponsive. However, after a few minutes, he saw her brow knit, and she opened her eyes.

She gasped. “Leon?”

“Good to see you too. Now let’s get you out of here.” Pulling out his knife, he tried to cut her binds, but they wouldn’t give.

“Insolent mortal!” Zeus stood, a scowl on his face. “How dare you interfere in divine affairs! Leave before I smite you!”

Leon stood in front of Persephone and pulled out his handgun. He wasn’t sure what to do, but at least he could try to be intimidating. “Sorry, pal, but rape is against the law. Looks like it’s gonna be you and your hand tonight.”

“Fool!” Zeus’ aura fluctuated and sparks flew off of skin. “I’m Zeus, Lord of Olympus. I am the law!”

He summoned a lightning bolt on his hand and held it high above his head.

 _Hope this works._ Leon aimed at the bolt and exploded in Zeus’ hand, blasting him back into the wall.

The impact created a rock side that pummeled him to the ground, and Leon quickly secured Persephone in his arms before running in the opposite direction.

“Are you alright?” Leon said.

“Now I am.” Persephone smiled. “What about you?”

“I injured my shoulder, but don’t worry. I’ve had worse.” Reaching a fork in the road, Leon stopped running. “Where are we?”

“The Underworld,” she said.

“What?” He checked both paths. “Is this another dream?”

“Well, I almost got raped by Zeus again, so no.” She nodded toward the correct path. “Go left. It leads to Charon’s dock.”

With Persephone’s guidance, Leon navigated the maze-like path, and if he wasn’t so focused on getting to safety, he would be in shock. Was he really in the world of the Ancient Greek gods?

 _But how? Did that strange woman with the eyepatch do this?_ Leon saw the dock just up ahead, but before he could reach it, a lightning bolt struck in front of him.

Leon fell back but kept Persephone in his arms. Debris flew everywhere, and when the dust cleared, Zeus was towering over them.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Zeus said, his voice booming throughout the area.

Persephone glared at him. “You’re in the Underworld’s borders. You should have no power here.”

“I heard rumors about your curse, Persephone, so I created this.” Zeus held out a circular stone that had his symbol engraved into it. “The Olympus Stone. It breaks your curse and allows anyone with it in their possession to maintain their full strength.”

_“Well, isn’t that a cute trick?”_

Leon saw another god appear in between them, or at least, he hoped it was a god. The man looked more like a fiery demon from hell than any figure from mythology.

“Aidi,” Persephone said.

Judging by her affectionate tone, Leon deduced that this was her husband, Hades. The god of the Underworld turned around with a smile, but it faded when he noticed Leon. Hades narrowed his eyes, and Leon gave an uneasy chuckle before letting go of Persephone.

“Hello, brother,” Zeus said.

“Zeus–” Hades dragged out the name while forcing a grin. “How wonderful to see you. To what do I owe this lovely visit?”

“You know very well what.” Zeus glared at him. “Where’s Hercules!”

Hades shrugged. “No clue.”

“Liar! This is the last place he went, and he’s been missing since!” Zeus said.

“Listen, Zeus, babe. If your precious son was dead, don’t you think I’d be the first to know?” Hades snorted. “Not to mention gloating in your face about it?”

Sparks flew off of Zeus. “I know you and that whore did something! Where is he!”

“Excuse me?” Hades’ skin flashed red. “What did you call my _wife_?”

“A whore.” Zeus laughed. “Did you really think you could keep a woman like that all to yourself? Heh, like you even deserve a wife. If it hadn’t been for that mortal, I would’ve finally shown her what a _real_ god is like.”

“Why that–” Persephone shook, her eyes tinging red.

Leon furrowed his brow and muttered, “This isn’t gonna end well.”

“Then I suggest you stay hidden,” she whispered. “No need to die on me so soon.

Leon shifted his gaze from Persephone to the bickering gods. Zeus threw his hands up, sending lightning thew the air, and Hades’ flames crackled all over his body while two fireballs formed in his hands.

 _Maybe hiding is a good idea._ Leon retreated back toward a small corner in the cavern wall.

Hades and Zeus charged at each other, fire and lightning crashing everywhere. Hearing the cracking of bones, Leon looked at Persephone. She dislocated her shoulders and brought her hands cover her head. Popping them back into place, she tore off her binds with her teeth.

Zeus punched Hades in the stomach. “Once you’re dead, Persephone is mine, and then I’ll toss her to the others. I’m sure they’d love a chance with her.”

Before Hades could respond, Persephone teleported from her spot on the ground and slashed Zeus across the face with her nails. He staggered back before dropping to his knees. His face was etched with four perfect lines, and he touched his ichor stained cheek in bewilderment.

“How dare you!” Persephone stood over him, her eyes glowing bright red. “You insult my marriage, my husband, _me_ in my own fucking land! I wonder what Hera thinks of you wanting to show me what a _real_ god is like, you selfish, rapist bastard!”

Springing to his feet, Zeus threw a swift punch, but she dodged it and swiped at his side. He caught her wrist, and yanking her to him, he right-hooked her in the stomach. Persephone dropped to the ground, but when he lifted his foot to stomp her spine, he was struck with a fireball.

“Get away from her.” Hades growled while he assaulted his brother with a barrage of flames.

Leon jumped out of the way of the attack before ducking in another corner, and he stared at the gods in awe. Zeus tried to retaliate, but Hades refused to give him an opening. Blast after blast, Zeus slowly trapped against the wall while Hades stalked toward him, his whole body engulfed in fire.

Zeus scowled. “Did I strike a nerve, Hades? If you kept that whore in check, I wouldn’t have to do it for you. Not only are you a sorry excuse of a god, but a man as well.”

“For the record, I like Persephone untamed.” Hades smirked, his hands ablaze, and he charged toward his brother. “And when I get you outta my flame, I’m gonna present her with your head gift-wrapped on a platter!”

Leon looked at Persephone. _She’s not moving._

Making sure to stay out of the crossfire, Leon slowly crawled over to her. He turned her onto her back, and Persephone groaned while clutching her stomach.

“Are you okay?” he said.

She opened her eyes halfway before closing them and mumbled, “Why him? Out of all the gods, why?”

“Huh?” Leon placed a hand on her forehead. “Persephone, wake up.”

She opened her eyes again and coughed a few times before sitting up. “Ugh, that bastard.”

He helped her remain steady. “Hey, take it easy.”

“I’ll be fine, Leon, but thank you.” Persephone glanced at Hades and Zeus. “He’ll never win so long as Zeus has that stone. We have to get it away from him.”

“How? He has it hidden in his robes. Besides, you’re in no condition to fight.” Leon gestured to her to tattered dress and the bruises forming on her skin.

“No, it’s time to achieve what I was created to do,” she said.

He furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”

She stood. “Just watch.”

Raising her hand, Persephone summoned a vine that uprooted the ground between Zeus and Hades. The brothers jumped out of the way of the flying debris, and they stared at the trench separating them before turning their attention to her.

“Angel-face, what are you doin’?” Hades said.

“This whole mess started with Zeus and me.” Persephone narrowed her eyes at the Olympian god and hissed in a dark tone, “And it’s going to end with us. Once and for all.”

Zeus scoffed at her. “How many times must I beat you before you learn your place!”

“I’m a woman, idiot. We have incredible endurance.” She laughed. “Although, if the rumors from the souls are true, you can’t say the same. Did you really think I’d be impressed with that tiny thing you have hiding under there?”

Zeus charged at her, and Persephone smirked while taking a fighting stance. Once he was close enough, her righthand mutated into a giant claw, and she caught his punch. He managed to push her back a little, but the extra muscle in her arm allowed her to hold him off into a stalemate.

 _But I thought she was cured?_ Leon watched the spectacle with wide eyes.

Zeus tried to pull away, but Persephone’s dug her claws into his arm. With one rough tug, he tore half of his arm off from her grip, and his flesh slipped through her claws like paper through a shredder. He screamed, but his adrenaline must’ve been so high, that he ignored the pain and tried to punch her with his intact hand. However, she teleported behind him and slashed him across his back.

Zeus collapsed on the ground, ichor spewing from his wounds. The slashes on his back ran much deeper than the ones on his face, almost cutting into his spine, but his flesh was already regenerating. He lifted himself onto his knees and pulled out the Olympus Stone. It glowed with a powerful light, but Hades swiped the stone out of his brother’s hand before it could rejuvenate his strength.

“Give that back!” Zeus growled through gritted teeth.

“No can do, Bro.” Hades stepped away from him and tossed the stone in his hand. “Gotta keep things fair, after all.”

“Fair?” He struggled to stand. “Since when–?”

Zeus’ eyes widened, and his mouth fell agape at the sudden agony of Persephone’s claws sticking through his abdomen.

“Don’t turn your back on me!” she said.

She sliced her claws to the right, taking chunks out of his side, and when he dropped to the ground again, she stabbed her claws into his crotch.

Her eyes glowed red. “This is the last time you try to rape me. To rape anyone, you sick fuck.”

“Yowch.” Hades winced and retreated further away.

Leon couldn’t help but cringe as well. _Remind me never to get on her bad side._

Zeus screamed and writhed while Persephone chopped his entire appendage off. It plopped on the ground, and more ichor pooled out around his body.

Grabbing him by the hair, she lifted his head and raised her claws. “Make sure to hold still now.”

“Wha… what are you?” Zeus gurgled out.

“If I told you that, I’d have to kill you.” She laughed. “Oh, silly me.”

Just as Persephone swung her claws down, Zeus unleashed a blast of energy that engulfed the whole area. Lightning surged in all directions, and Leon had to jump behind the side of the cavern wall. When the attack dispersed, Hades and Persephone were lying sprawled on the ground, and Zeus was gone.

Leon rushed over to them. “Hey, are you two alright?”

He supposed it was a dumb question since they were gods. Their brutal fight would’ve killed even the strongest soldier, yet Persephone and Hades were still breathing and what scratches they’d obtained had vanished.

“Oy. My ears are gonna be ringing for weeks.” Hades sat up and rubbed his head before glancing to his left. “Persephone? Angel-face, wake up.”

Persephone’s right arm returned to normal, and she opened her eyes. She seemed dazed for a moment, but once she came to her senses, she jumped to her feet.

“Where is he?” she said.

She searched the area, her movements becoming more frantic with each second. She paced around a few times as though expecting Zeus to appear again.

“Where are you!” Persephone glared at the air. “You think you’re so smart! I swear the next time I see you, you’re dead! Dead!”

Hades walked over to her. “Persephone, babe, calm down.”

She turned around, and her eyes widened. “Oh, I see what’s going on here. Nice try, Zeus.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“Don’t play dumb.” She glared at him. “You used that explosion as a distraction, so you could disguise yourself as Hades again.”

“Disguise, I–” Hades’ eyes widened a little, like he had realized something. “What did that brute do to you?”

Persephone blinked a few times before stepping away from her husband. “He… he….”

She trembled and looked on the verge of tears. Her gaze lowered to the ground, her eyes wide with paranoia, and her breath quickened until she started to hyperventilate.

Hades placed a hand under her chin. “Come on, Angel-face, it’s me. Aidi. Your snooch-snoochy, your own personal god of love and fiery, burnin’ passion.”

Leon folded his arms and muttered, “Snoochy?”

“The night we first met–” She met her husband’s gaze. “What did I say when you told me you were a prince?”

Hades thought for a moment. “You got overexcited, and started screamin’ at me about whether I had pirates, dragons, fairies, or somethin’. And when I told you no, you got all bratty, sayin’, _“Some prince you are. You’re makin’ this up.”_.”

Persephone burst into tears and buried her face in his chest, her hands tightly gripping his chiton.

Hades wrapped his arms around her. “Hey, it’s gonna be okay.”

“I know.” She sniffled. “But I was so scared. Zeus caught me off guard. I didn’t realize something was wrong until it was too late. I… I….”

He pulled away, and putting a hand to her face, wiped her tears away with his thumb. “Come on, Angel-face. Let’s get you inside.”

“Wait. Where’s–?” She looked around. “Leon, you’re alright.”

Persephone rushed over to him, and Leon saw her husband give him a scrutinizing glare. He stepped back when she tried to hug him, and she chuckled.

“Don’t worry, Leon. I’m not contagious anymore. The mutations are just a part of me now.” She hugged him before he could move again. “Thank you so much.”

“Uh, you’re welcome,” Leon said.

He hadn’t realized it before, but the gods dwarfed him, not only in height, but in overall mass. Persephone had to bend down significantly just to keep his face away from her chest, and even then, Leon didn’t feel comfortable returning the embrace with her husband staring at them.

“Aidi.” Persephone pulled away and smiled. “This is Leon. He rescued me from Zeus.”

He held out his hand. “Leon Kennedy. Nice to meet you.”

Hades shook his hand and squeezed it hard enough to make him wince. “Name’s Hades, Lord of the Dead, and let me guess–? You’re from the future and probably have somethin’ to do with Raccoon City?”

“Persephone’s mentioned me?” Leon said.

“Not at all, actually.” Hades narrowed his eyes. “Though I suppose a thanks is still in order.”

“Leon and I met in those dreams. Although, I’m not sure how he’s here now,” Persephone said.

Leon scratched the back of his head. “I’m still trying to figure that out myself.”

“Interesin’, hmm.” Hades tapped his chin.

Persephone furrowed her brow. “What’s wrong?”

“We got two more stowaways earlier, and one of them was someone I met in my dreams too.” Hades looked at Leon. “Maybe you’ve heard of her? Does Claire Redfield ring any bells?”

“Claire is here?” Leon’s eyes widened. _But how? Was it that same woman I found in my apartment?_

“Now that you mention it, Aidi, there is something strange about all of this.” Persephone sighed. “But can we save it for tomorrow? I’m not in the mood for anymore drama right now.”

Leon saw her hug her arms around herself and shift a few glances toward the dock. She was clearly still shaken up, and he couldn’t blame her.

“So–” He glanced toward the pool of ichor on the ground. “Did you really have to chop his dick off?”

Persephone frowned, her eyes tinging red. “It’s the least that bastard deserves. Maybe I can finally draw some fear out of the Olympians.”

“Without this, those yutzes aren’t gonna pay us another visit any time soon.” Hades tossed the Olympus Stone into the Styx before walking over to the dock. “Hey, Charon, we need a lift!”

A few minutes later a large rowboat approached the dock, and Leon gasped at what he saw.

“Is that a skeleton roaring the boat?” he said.

Persephone looked at him. “Welcome to the Underworld.”


	6. To Be A God

Claire sat down on the large windowsill and look out at the surreal paradise before her. The garden was such a stark contrast to the rest of the Underworld, and being in a much livelier setting made her feel more at case.

_I still can’t believe I’ve been sent back to Ancient Greece, and I’m not dreaming this time. It’s real._ She folded her arms. “What am I going to do?”

If Claire had come here alone, she would’ve been concerned, but she had experienced enough dangerous situations to handle herself. This time, however, Moira was with her. She glanced at the teen, who was peacefully snoring away. It had taken Claire almost an hour to calm her down, and even then, Moira was still in shock.

_Moira shouldn’t be here. She’s only a kid._ Claire walked over to her bed and lay down.  _I have to get her back home._

She frowned at her previous thought. If Moira wasn’t here, would Claire be as urgent to return home? She was in ancient times. There were so many things she could learn and experience about the people and cultures of this era.

_I could also screw up the timeline. Although, hasn’t our mere presence altered things already? Then again, what if we already existed in this time, and we’re simply fulfilling our paradoxical fate?_ Groaning, she shoved her pillow over her face.  _Ugh, it’s too late at night to think about time travel._

Despite how tired she was, Claire still needed to figure out a plan for tomorrow. Hades was a complete puzzle, whom she had become obsessed with solving. Every time she thought she had him figured out, his actions would contradict her judgement.

He saved her when she had been killed by T-201, helped her fight the Ashford twins, and was hospital enough to let her and Moira stay in the garden palace. However, Hades also stalked Claire, was willing to collaborate with Wesker, and was responsible for sentencing her era of time to a slow death.

_Why would he be so kind to me if he’s evil enough to destroy the world?_ Claire turned on her side.  _It doesn’t make any sense. None of this stuff is in the history books. Although, this is the god of the Underworld. I doubt any got to know him while they were alive._

Hearing a knock at the door, Claire walked over and opened it. On the other side was one of Hades’ servants, and the imp gestured behind himself.

Ms. Redfield, this gentleman says he knows you,” the imp said.

Claire looked at the person, who was meandering in the hallway. “Leon?”

He turned around. “Claire? You’re really here.”

Without a second thought, Claire rushed over and hugged him. She didn’t know what came over her, but seeing another familiar face from her time was relieving.

“How did you get here?” Claire stepped back and glanced him over. “And what happened to you? You look like you just walked out of a fight.”

“Yeah.” Leon chuckled. “I had to rescue Persephone from Zeus.”

“Zeus?” Her eyes widened. “You picked a fight with the king of the Gods?”

“I didn’t have a choice. He was trying to rape her, but thankfully her husband showed up before things got too out of hand,” he said.

“Why don’t we continue this inside.” Claire led him to the room. “Oh, and try not to wake Moira. The last two days haven’t been easy on her.”

Following her, he raised an eyebrow. “Moira?”

Claire bid the imp a quick  _‘thanks’_ before closing the door. “Burton’s daughter. She was with me when I was attacked.”

Leon walked over to the window. “Did this  _attack_ involve a woman wearing an eyepatch?”

….

Hades entered his bedchamber, and following the sound of drunken singing, he saw Persephone lying in front of the large fireplace. She was wrapped in a bath towel, her bare skin dripping wet, and in her hand was a bottle of rum that she sipped from periodically between lines.

He walked over to her. “Angel-face?”

She opened her eyes and sat up. “Oh,  _hic_ , hey, Aidi.”

“Uh… hi.” He sat down beside her. “Are you feelin’ okay?”

“Oh, never better.” She swayed a little before taking another sip of rum. “That’s what I  _hic_ love about this stuff. No matter what happens, it  _hic_ makes you forget everything.”

Hades stared at her. Persephone usually had a strong resistance to liquor, but now she was completely out of it. Her eyes were glazed over, her pupils dilated, and she kept blinking like she had trouble looking at him. Tear stains were streaked over her beet red cheeks, and her breath and pores reeked with the bitter scent.

“Uh, babe, how much did you drink?” he said.

Furrowing her brow, she dropped the bottle, and it rolled away, the remainder of it contents spilling on the floor. She held her hands in front of her face, but had trouble focusing. Groaning, she blinked as few times before finally holding up two fingers. Raising an eyebrow, he glanced past her and noticed the pile of bottles that had been discarded in the dark corner of the chamber. There had to be at least fifty, and he face-palmed while she gave him a sheepish smile.

“Angel-face, I know you had a rough day, but drinkin’ yourself into comatose isn’t gonna help,” he said.

“Says you.” She picked up her bottle and tried to drink from it only to realize it was empty. “You’re not  _hic_ the one who almost got raped again. You weren’t the one who tortured and humiliated by your mother. I  _hic_ should never have wasted my time with her.”

Persephone tossed the bottle to the side, and it shattered on impact. Sniffling, she buried her face in her hands and cried.

“Listen–” He pulled her hands down and intertwined them with his own. “Zeus’ll get what’s comin’ to him. I’ll make him regret the day he first saw you.”

“More like the day he sired me,” she muttered.

“What?” he said.

She pulled her hands from his grip and looked away. “My mother staged an intervention with Hestia, Athena, Artemis, and Aphrodite, and when that didn’t work, she demanded that I couldn’t leave her like my father did. I  _hic_ questioned her, and she told me my father is Zeus.”

Her tone dripped with bitterness and anger, but Hades was too stunned to respond. Why hadn’t he realized it before? Demeter had a pretty long relationship with Zeus before he dumped her for Hera, and given how disloyal his brother was, it wouldn’t be surprising if the two continued a fling behind the scenes.

_And Persephone’s such a powerhouse. Of course her father would be the most top tier god in the cosmos._ He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Oy vey, no wonder you’re so out of it.”

She materialized another bottle in her hand. “That’s why I  _hic_ told you to stay out of the fight. This started between Zeus and me, and it’s  _hic_ gonna end that way. You’re not upset, are you?”

“The only thing I’m upset about is that my brute of a brother is still alive after everythin’ he’s done to you.” He took the bottle from her before she could drink it and dissipated it in his hand. “You’ll get your revenge, Angel-face. I promise. Until then, you need to get some rest.”

“Hey, I–” When he helped her stand, she tripped and fell onto him. “Maybe… ugh… I think… bugh…. I think I stood up too fast.”

Persephone rushed into their private bathing chambers as fast as her stumbling gate would allow. Hades quickly followed to make sure she didn’t hurt herself, and he waited in the doorway while she retched into a large vase.

She lifted her head up and wiped her face with her towel. “Aidi, don’t ever let me do this again.”

“Deal.” He walked over and lifted her into his arms. “But let’s get you cleaned up first.”

Thirty minutes later, Hades returned to their bed chamber and placed Persephone under the covers. Disrobing, he climbed in, and she cuddled against him, her head resting against his chest.

“So what’s in store for tomorrow?” she said.

He wrapped his arm around her. “Well, while your soberin’ up, I’m gonna figure out where Jerkules wandered off to, and then we’re gonna call a meetin’ with our new guests.”

She nodded and sighed. “Aidi… do you believe in true love?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Come again?”

“During my mother’s intervention, she had me shot with Aphrodite’s love arrows, so she could make me fall out of love with you.” She laughed. “Well, after about thirty of those stupid things and few emergency ones, it didn’t work.”

“You resisted thirty of her arrows?” His eyes widened. “You know, you should probably just take next couple of days off.”

“I’ll be fine. The point is that Aphrodite said the reason I could resist so many was because you and I achieved something called true love. It’s like this unbreakable bond, and she said it’s very rare. Not even she’s managed it.”

He snorted. “Definitely, sounds like the kinda mushy crap Miss Debutant would come up with.”

“I don’t know.” Persephone yawned. “I thought it was sweet.”

“I suppose, but I think it’s better to not–” Glancing down, he noticed that she had passed out. “To not get hung up on that sorta thing.”

Shaking his head, he settled down and closed his eyes. After such stressful two days, he supposed he couldn’t blame her for focusing on something positive.

_I guess I can’t deny the concept is special given how marriages usually turn out in this family._ He cringed at the thought of ending up like the others.  _No way. I went to Tartarus and back just to have Persephone at my side. I’m not screwin’ it up again, and if that true love stuff’s really a thing, let it to afford me that much._

….

Corfu, Greece 2006 A.D.

Wesker stood before the iron-wrought gates and stared up at the vast estate before him. The castle rested atop the cliffside, and overlooked the Ionian Sea. Waves crashed against the base of the cliff, and the stormy sky above the castle a foreboding presence worthy of a horror movie. Befitting, considering its owner was the remaining founder of Umbrella, Oswell E. Spencer.

_I’ve found you at last._ Wesker smirked. _It’s finally time for you to step down._

Infiltrating the Spencer Estate was easy, almost too easy. There wasn’t much security, and the few guards who were there were no match for someone like him. Wesker frowned while he watched the last guard collapse on the floor. Blood pooled out around the corpse from the gaping would in its abdomen, and confirming there was no one left to get in his way, Wesker discarded the sword he borrowed from one of the suits of armor.

“What a pitiful display, Oswell. Either you’re overconfident, or Galenia was correct,” he said.

After years of searching, Wesker’s most recent aid had given him the exact location of Spencer’s whereabouts and warned that his visit would be expected. He furrowed his brow. Why would Spencer know he was coming? Perhaps he had been given tips by his successor, Sergei, before Wesker had ensured the fool’s demise. Galenia, however, refused to provide a straight answer and left him to ponder.

_Her impish behavior is infuriating, but so long as she defers to her master, I must tolerate it._ Wesker opened the doors to the primary chamber and stepped inside.

The chamber was quite spacious. Bookshelves aligned the walls closest to the doors, and lightning flashed across the large window on the other side, illuminating the room.

“Albert Wesker.” A feeble, make voice coughed. “I knew you’d find me.”

In the center of the room, bound to a wheelchair, was Spencer himself. He craned his neck to look back, and Wesker wasn’t impressed by the founder’s current state. Becoming a fugitive had turned Spencer into a fragile, old man, who was knocking on death’s door.

“Did you know?” Wesker approached him.

“Of course.” Spencer coughed. “It’s in your programming. I’m proud to say that you are my greatest creation. A promise for the future.”

“Care to elaborate?” Wesker said.

Spencer gave a small smile, clearly amused by Wesker’s curiosity. “Ashford, Marcus, and I may have founded Umbrella together, but as you are aware, it had always been my company. My goal was to use the progenitor virus to create a superior breed of humans. The start of my research began with the Wesker children project.”

Thunder boomed outside, the rain pounding against the window with fierceness. Wesker tightened his lips and clenched his fists at the information.

“I was manufactured?” he said.

Spencer nodded. “All of you possessed unlimited potential, but in the end, only you survived. Your existence, your motivation, and even your abilities were do to my careful engineering.”

Wesker felt a burst of rage surge through him at the arrogance of the man who sat before him. His whole life was nothing more than someone else’s project, a mere pawn in Spencer’s scheme.

_No, I’m the chess master of this game._ Wesker stopped around the wheelchair to face him. “And what precisely did you hope to accomplish?”

“With the perfected virus, I was to become a god, and reign over a new world with an advanced race of human beings.” Spencer coughed before taking a deep breath through the oxygen tubes in his nose. “But my dreams fell apart with the loss of Raccoon City.”

_A god?_ Wesker closed his eyes.

“Now the sun sets on my time on this miserable planet.” Spencer slowly stood, his hand holding his lower back, and he hobbled himself past Wesker to the window. “Such a cruel irony for one who has the right to be a god. To stare his own mortality in the eye, realizing that this is the end.”

“The right to be a god?” Grabbing Spencer by the arm, Wesker rammed his hand straight through his chest. “That right is now mine.”

He released his hand from Spencer’s chest, and the now deceased founder dropped to the floor. Blood pooled around his corpse, and his face was frozen in shock, his eyes wide and his mouth agape.

The right to be a god? You?” Wesker scoffed. “Arrogant until the end. Only one truly capable of being a god deserves that right.”

He glanced at his blood soaked hand before turning his attention toward the window. Now that Spencer was out of the way, he was free to continue his plans.

“If only you had made the discovery I did, Oswell,” Wesker said.

It was already thrilling to surpass humanity and cheat death, but to uncover the realm of the Ancient gods? It was only more evidence that he was destined to lead his world down a new path.

“The right.” He smirked. “With Persephone and my latest endeavor, I’ll have that right.”

“Good evening, Albert.”

Wesker turned around and saw Galenia approach him.

She glanced down at Spencer’s corpse. “It appears you’ve achieved your objective.”

“Report your information on Persephone,” he said.

“You will be impressed with her progress.” Galenia smiled. “She fought Zeus himself one on one, and almost killed him. It also appears that she has become one with the virus. She can control her mutations at will, and her blood produces antibodies.

“Interesting.” Wesker turned around. “How much longer do we have?”

“A week,” she said.

“Very well.” He nodded. “We will proceed with the next phase of the plan, and then I will reclaim my researched.”

She furrowed her brow. “What about Hades?”

“He’s powerful, but I have no use for a god who has allowed himself to be consumed by an emotion as weak as love.” Wesker chuckled. “However, he also possesses half of Persephone's heart, and thanks to you, we’ve already obtained the other half. It’ll be fun to watch her break.”

Galenia sighed and shook her head. “Honestly, Albert. Why are you wasting your time with that rogue? My master could grant you will al the power you desire and more.”

“I am aware, and we shall see if your master is worthy of bestowing me with anything when the time comes. Until then, you’re still under my command and will follow through with my plans as I see fit,” he said.

“Fine, but before I leave to meddle in some other affairs–” Waving her hand, a cloaked man appeared beside her, who was tied in chains. “I brought you a new toy. I’m sure you’ve heard of the ancient hero, Hercules.”

She pulled back the hood of his cloak, revealing Hercules’ dazed expression. From what Wesker could tell, the demigod was in some sort of trance.

“Ah, yes, the half-blood son of Zeus with the strength of ten-thousand men,” he said.

“I figured he’d be useful against your old friends.” She grinned. “Hercules, this is Albert Wesker. You shall obey his every whim and destroy his enemies.”

Hercules nodded and muttered. “Eh.”

“Don’t worry. He’s entranced under my power, and I’ve bewitched him to understand english.” She checked her wrist. “Is it that time already? I must take my leave. Oh, and I suggest you stick around, Albert. You’re going to have some interesting company in three, two….”

As Galenia vanished from the room, Chris and Jill burst through the doors with their guns aimed and ready. Wesker mentally cursed Galenia’s game playing, but he smirked at the duo nonetheless.

“Wesker, what are you doing here?” Chris said.

“As you can see, Chris, simply tying up some loose ends.” Wesker gestured to Spencer’s corpse. “Apparently, that also includes you two. And I believe the odds are fair. Two on two? Right, Hercules?”

The demigod grunted and stood, his fists clenched. Chris and Jill stepped back, just noticing the other man in the room. Wesker took advantage of their confusion and charged at Chris, his hand clamping around his enemy’s neck before he could fire hi gun. He slammed Chris into the bookshelf, but hearing gunfire, dodged out of the way.

He landed a few feet away. “Hercules, take care of Ms. Valentine.”

Jill gasped as the demigod charged at her like a raging bull, and she quickly shot at him. However, the bullets bounced off of him as though his skin was made of steel, and she was left with no choice but to run. Hearing more gunfire, Wesker dodged the barrage of bullets Chris sent his way and charged at him again.

He knocked Chris into the ladder before snatching him by the hair and slamming his face into the side of it. Chris elbowed him in the side and tried to swerve around to punch him, but Wesker grabbed him by the collar and smashed him into the nearby table. He dragged Chris across it and threw him into the wall.

Hearing Jill scream, Wesker turned around and saw that Hercules had cornered her. He smirked and lifted Chris up by his hair.

“Now you on watch her die,” Wesker said.

“No!” Chris struggled against him. “Jill!”

Hercules grunted and ensnaring Jill by the neck. She tried to stab his hand with her pocket knife, but it shattered the moment it touched his skin. The demigod tightened his grip, and she went slack.

However, before Wesker could revel in his victory, Hercules released her. Jill dropped to the floor and coughed, trying to regain her breath. A dark light surrounded the demigod like an aura, and he fell to his knees, his hands clutched his head.

“No! Stop! I won’t do this!” Hercules’ eyes clenched, tears spilling down his face. “Meg!”

“Hercules, Galenia brought you here to obey me. Now kill Valentine!” Wesker said.

Hercules continued to resist, the aura around him growing larger, and before Wesker could try to command him again, he felt Chris break out of his grip and punch him in the face. Wesker teleported away and rubbed his cheek before scowling.

_That insipid bitch. One again, I’ve been provided evidence on how outdated these gods truly are. But I worry about that later._ Seeing Chris recover his gun, Wesker dodged the following onslaught of bullets before kicking the gun out of Chris’ hands.

He side-kicked Chris in the head, knocking him closer to the window, and before Chris could stand Wesker snatched him by the neck and lifted him high in the air. He raised his left hand, ready to pierce it through Chris’ chest like he had done to Spencer.

“Let’s finish this.” Wesker smirked.

“No!”

Wesker didn’t have chance to react and was tackled by Jill. They crashed through the window, glass shards scattering around them, and plummeted into the sea below. The water hit them like razors, and it took a few moments for Wesker to get his bearings. Jill was unconscious, her body covered in cuts and bruises, and the tide was slowly pulling her away.

Another splash sounded off a few feet from them, and Wesker saw Hercules swimming toward them. The dark aura surrounding the demigod had vanished, and his eyes were no longer dazed. Some how Hercules had broken face of Galenia’s control, and Wesker had to dodge the demigod's punch.

_No sense in wasting my time._ Wesker swam away.  _I already have what I want, and I’ll have the proper opportunity to kill Chris and Jill soon enough._

….

“Jill!” Chris stared out of the broken window, his heart pounding with worry.

The mysterious with worry.

The mysterious man that was with Wesker had jumped down after them, but Chris couldn’t see a safe any down without getting himself killed.

He stood. I go back through the castle. I just hope I’m not to late.

Reaching the bottom of the cliffside, Chris shielded himself from the rain with his arm and searched the shore. All that he could see were waves, silt, and large rocks.

“They have to be around here somewhere.” Chris looked around. “Jill! Jill, please say something!”

He heard someone cry, and followed the voice further down the shore. There, he found the mysterious man lying over Jill, and she didn’t seem to be moving.

“Meg. I’m so sorry, Meg,” the man sobbed.

_What is he doing? He was a hostile before._ Chris took out his gun and slowly approached. “Hey, I don’t want any trouble. Just back away from her, and no one else has to get hurt.”

The man looked up, tears staining his face. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt her. I was forced. I didn’t want to kill Meg.”

“Who’s Meg?” Jill groaned and coughed.

Eyes widening, Chris rushed to her side. “Jill, thank god you’re all right. What happened to Wesker?”

She sat up. “He got away. This man saved me.”

The man simply stared at Jill, his brow furrowed in confusion, and then he lowered his head as though realizing something. “No need to thank me. I’m no hero.”

“Hey, don’t blame yourself. It was obvious Wesker was controlling you.” Jill smiled. “So do you have a name?”

“It’s Hercules,” he said.

Judging by his accent and name, Chris deduced that he must’ve been a native who got entangled with what remained of Umbrella.

“I’m Jill Valentine.” She nodded to him. “And this is Chris Redfield. We’re with the BSAA, and we can offer you protection.”

“I don’t know if you can.” Hercules furrowed his brow. “I was brought to that Wesker guy by a witch. She used some spell to control me, and wait… where are we? What year is it?”

Chris shared a glance with Jill. Clearly this guy was out of it.

“It’s September 23, 2006,” Jill said.

Hercules’ eyes widened. “Then it’s true. That witch really took me to the future.”

“Uh….” Chris smiled. “It seems they really did a number on you. Don’t worry. Help will be here soon.”

“No, it’s true. Your clothes, and everything I’ve seen is so different. I’m really from the year 1297, and I’m the son of Zeus.”

“You mean the mythologies Zeus from Ancient Greece, and you’re the actual Hercules? That’s impossible,” Jill said.

Chris nodded. “Yeah, I think you must’ve bumped your head.”

“Kid!”

Looking up in the direction of the voice, Chris couldn’t believe what he saw. A horse with wings flew toward them and landed a few feet away. Riding it was a short man with goat horns and legs, and to Chris’ discomfort wasn’t wearing any clothes. Thankfully, the short man’s fur covered up anything that should remain unseen.

“Phil!” Hercules gasped.

Phil rushed over and hugged him. “Oh, Champ, you’re alright. We’ve been in pursuit since we sat that witch nab you.”

Jill blinked and looked at Chris. “Is that a pegasus and satyr?”

Chris shrugged, just as confused as she was.  _What have we gotten ourselves into this time?_


	7. ReCon

“How long do we got to stay here?” Moira groaned while she struggled to pin her dress together. “Ugh, this is impossible. Why do I have to wear this stupid thing?”

“Here, let me help.” Claire finished tying her hair back before walking over to her. “Just wrap it around like this, and pin it right there.”

“Thanks. I don’t understand why we can’t wear our own clothes.” Moira examined herself in the mirror.

“Well, you know how the saying goes… when in Rome, or, in the case, Greece, do as the Grecians do.” Claire smiled. “Anyway, we’ll go home once we figure out a way.”

Moira sat on her bed and folded her arms. “But why can’t Hades send us back now?”

She furrowed her brow, recalling an earlier conversation. “Because not all deities have the ability to manipulate time.”

“Great.” With a huff, Moira threw her hands in the air and fell back against her pillows. “Dad’s probably lost his mind by now. He’ll never let me out of his sight if we ever return.”

Hearing a knock at the door, Claire opened it and saw Leon. She moved out of the way, letting him enter the room, and closed the door behind him.

“Morning, Leon,” Claire said.

“Morning.” Leon nodded to her.

Moira glanced at him and gasped. “You’re Claire’s friend, Leon?”

“Yes, and you must be Moira.” He smiled and held out his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

She blushed and shook his hand. “Likewise.”

Claire noticed that he was still wearing his modern clothes. “Those imp creatures didn’t give you anything?”

“They did, but this culture doesn’t believe in pants.” Leon walked over to the window. “So have you thought of a plan?”

“Make nice with our new Lord and Lady, so they’ll help us go home?” Claire said.

Moira rested her hands behind her head and reclined against her pillows. “But how do you know we can trust them?”

“Well, I’ve spent some time with Persephone, and she’s a good person.” Leon sat on the windowsill. “And she’s the one who saved us from _The Rift_.” 

Claire’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”

He nodded. “The last dream we shared, she told me she was trying to stop an outbreak of the T-virus in this time.”

“I know.” She frowned, her fists clenching. “Hades was responsible for the outbreak.”

Moira sat up. “What?” See, I knew that creep was bad news.”

Claire sighed. “Listen, you both have every right to be wary of Hades. I was too when I first met him, but while his behavior is questionable at times, I don’t distrust him.”

“He’s questionable, but you don’t distrust him?” Moira raised an eyebrow. “Contradiction much?”

“I know it’s confusing, but like it or not, this is Hades’ kingdom. We need to stay on his good side,” Claire said.

“Guess I’ve already failed.” Leon gave an awkward laugh. “I don’t think he likes me very much. He kept giving me mean looks when I was talking to Persephone.”

Claire rolled her eyes. “Are you sure it was just talking?”

“Yes,” he said.

“If you say so, but try to not give Persephone any  _diving lessons_ .” She gave him a skeptic look. “We’d like to bring you home in one piece.”

….

Persephone groaned and put a hand to her head while she made her way downstairs to the throne room. Her skull felt like it could split open at any moment, and no matter how many remedies she gave herself, her hangover wouldn’t subside.

_Maybe it isn’t a hangover? Sure I drank way more than usual, but it shouldn’t be this bad._ She stopped in front of the throne room doors and rubbed her eyes. “Come on, focus.”

“Will you be alright, my Lady?” Lust said.

Vanity nodded. “Yeah, you still seem kinda out of it.”

“I’ll manage.” She smiled. “I need you two to look after Creon.”

“Very well, my Lady.” Lust took Vanity’s hand and headed downstairs. “Just call if you need us.”

Persephone took a few deep breaths and entered the throne room. She saw Hades mulling over the map, and he was in such deep thought that he didn’t notice her come in.

She cleared her throat. “Good morning, Hades.”

Looking up, he smiled. “Persephone, there you are. Are you feelin’ better?”

“Not really, but I couldn’t stand lazying about in bed for much longer,” she said.

Persephone walked up the small set of stairs that led to their thrones and sat down. “I think I’m just stressed out.”

“Well, you went through a lot yesterday, so try to take it easy, alright?” He sat next to her.

“Don’t worry. I canceled my appointments for the next few days.” Feeling dizzy, she put a hand to her forehead. “So what do you have planned for our new guests?”

“I just sent Pain and Panic to retrieve them. We need to figure out why they’re here, and find a connection with the dreams we had,” he said.

She nodded. “The Fates must have something up their sleeves.”

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed in frustration. “And I haven’t had any luck callin’ an audience with them.”

“Then let’s at least go over what we know,” she said.

“Perfect idea.” Hades folded his arms, his face drooping into a sour frown. “Why don’t we start with you and that Leon yutz?”

She rolled her eyes. “Well, Leon has every trait of a noble hero, but he manages to pull it off well with that “cool guy” persona of his. In my dreams, he was willing to risk everything to protect me despite not knowing anything about me. I guess I left an impression on him.”

He narrowed his eyes. “What kind of impression?”

“Aidi, stop being jealous,” she said.

“I’m not jealous.” He pouted and sulked back against his throne.

“Uh huh. Were you also not the one giving Leon the evil eye the entire time we were at the dock?” She shook her head. “Anyway, you might as well know that I did kiss him once.”

“What!” His skin tinged orange. “You actually like that pretty boy?”

Frowning, she took a deep breath and blew his hair out. “Will you chill already? First off, you and I weren’t together yet, and second, it was only in the heat of the moment after he recused me.”

“So you like him.” He scowled while reigniting his hair.

“No, I don’t. I just find him less irritating than most heroes, so leave Leon alone.” She pointed a finger in his face. “And you’re in no position to talk since I don’t remember you mentioning this Claire woman before.”

“What?” Hades shrugged. “She was the first person I bumped into when I landed in that limbo Raccoon City, and I used her for information. However, things got complicated, one thing led to another–”

“How exactly?” She raised an eyebrow. “And don’t lie. ‘Cause you know I’ll find out once I see her.”

“Alright, alright. Claire and I kissed too, granted she was dead at the time.” Noticing the strange look Persephone was giving him, he held his hands up. “No, not like that. We were fightin’ your alter ego, and Claire got fried to a crisp. She had saved me from the facility, so I figured she deserved to live a little longer.”

“She saved you?” Her eyes widened.

He nodded. “Claire’s brave and a surprisin’ly skilled heroine. Although, that tag-a-long of hers I just met yesterday.”

“Tag-a-along?” she said.

“Some teenage brat.” He huffed. “Has quite the mouth on her, and doesn’t seem too bright.”

“Hmm.” Persephone leaned back in her throne and bit her lip.

“Somethin’ wrong?” he said.

It feels like no matter what it just never ends.” She furrowed her brow, her gaze lowering to the floor. “First Hercules, then my mother, then Zeus, and now these mortals from our dreams? Don’t you find this unsettling?”

She hugged her arms around herself, her body shaking. Her nerves prickled along her skin like she was being stabbed by a million needles, and she felt short of breath. Hades brought a hand to her face, snapping her out her shocked reverie, and she looked at him with weary eyes.

“Hey, it’s okay, Angel-face.” He stroked her cheek with his thumb. “We’ll sort this out.”

Slowly nodding, she placed her shaky hand over his and closed his eyes. “Kiss me.”

He leaned in, his pressing against hers. It was soft and consoling, and Persephone felt herself relax. She wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss, and after a few minutes they separated. She slumped back against her throne, her breathing heavy, while he kissed along her jawline.

“Feel better, my sweet?” he purred before moving down her neck.

“Yes.” She sucked in a breath when he nipped at the sensitive spot above her collarbone.

Chuckling, he pulled away and glanced her over with hooded eyes. “You really are a tease, you know that?”

“Me?” She gave him a wide-eyed pout and batted her eyelashes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t get innocent with me, Angel-face.” He dragged a finger over her cleavage. “You always have those succulent assets on display. I get thirsty just lookin’ at you.”

She winked at him. “It’s not my fault you’re easily distracted.”

So that’s your game, huh?” He tip-toed his fingers up her arm until he reached the strap of her dress. 

She smacked his hand away before he could undo it and sat up straight. “Not now. They’ll be here any minute.”

He shrugged. “Then I’ll lock the door and have the imps make them wait.”

“How hospitable of you.” She folded her arms.

“Come on, babe, they’re just mortals.” He placed his hands on her shoulders and started to undo the pins on her dress straps. “Pleasuin’ you is way higher on my priority list.”

Grabbing his hands, Persephone pushed him back and re-clipped her pins. “Now’s really not the time.”

He reached for her straps a third time, but she smacked his hand again.

“No.” She pointed at him. “Bad.”

Hades blinked at her reprimanding finger before giving her a devilish smirk, his fangs biting over his lower lip. She gasped, realizing the error of her choice of words, and he chuckled when she moved away from him.

“Don’t you dare,” she said.

He climbed across the armrests and leaned over her. “But, Persephone, I thought you liked bad boys, or did you forget you’re married to the baddest of them all?”

“The baddest of them all?” She blinked before bursting into laughter, her voice ringing throughout the room.

He frowned. “And what is it that you find so amusin’?”

“I fear thou is mistaken, my King.” She smirked. “For famed is thy cruelty, but hold–”

She leaned in until their noses were almost touching and trailed a finger over his lips.

“Another contender I see. Alas, she is far worse than thee,” she said.

“Let me guess–” He ran a hand through her bangs. “Hair fine as silk, eyes as mesmerizin’ and deep as the cosmos, and a body that could up our suicide rate?”

Persephone grinned, her eyes turning red, and she pounced him, flipping him back onto his throne. However, he lost his balance, sending them tumbling off onto the floor, and they landed into a lip-lock session while trying to pry each other’s clothes off.

“Boss?”

The two of them looked up and saw Pain and Panic standing in the room. The imps’ faces were red, and they retreated back to the door.

“The mortals are here,” Panic said.

In a combined swirl of smoke and petals, Persephone and Hades reappeared on their respective thrones and readjusted themselves.

“Send them in,” Persephone said.

Feeling a hand on her thigh, she looked at Hades, and before she could protest, he kissed her. It was short, but she could tell what the gesture really meant when she saw Leon enter the room first.

“We’ll finish this later,” Hades whispered in her ear.

Persephone rolled her eyes and focused on their guests. She noted that Leon was already aware of her husband’s disapproval, and the woman beside him was fixated on Hades.

_Well, she definitely beautiful for a mortal._ Narrowing her eyes, Persephone dug deeper into Claire’s psyche and sensed an attraction.  _But it seems to be curiosity._

Claire stepped forward and bowed. “Uh, good morning, Lord Hades and Lady Persephone.”

Leon bowed, looking as uneasy as Claire. “Yes, how are both of you?”

“Peachy. Just peachy.” Hades narrowed his eyes at Leon only to receive a subtle nudge from Persephone. “What?”

She shook her head before smiling. “We’re splendid, thank you. Although, Leon, I don’t believe I’ve been properly introduced to your other friends?”

The negative aura surrounding Claire subsided, and she nodded. “I’m Claire Redfield, and this is–”

Claire gestured to the teen girl standing behind her, who was staring at Persephone completely slack jawed.

“Moira?” Claire placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her. “Hey, snap out of it.”

“Huh?” Moira blinked and looked around with confusion. “What happened?”

Claire sighed. “Lady Persephone, this is Moira Burton. You must excuse her behavior. She’s been jumpy since we arrived here.”

“It’s alright. I understand.” Persephone nodded. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”

“Sure… yeah.” Moira blushed and hid behind Claire.

_So the girl is closest to Claire and has a tragic past._ Persephone rested her cheek against her hand and tapped her index finger against her forehead.  _And she seems to have a puppy crush on Leon and me. How cute._

“Alright, let’s get to the matter at hand.” Hades clasped his fingers together. “How’d the three of you get here?”

Leon stepped forward. “It turns out we were sent to the past by a woman named Galenia Rodriguez.”

Claire looked at Hades. “The last time we were in the dream world together, she captured me, so I believe she’s working with Wesker.”

“Hang on.” Hades thought for a minute. “Was this Galenia woman wearin’ an eyepatch?”

Persephone furrowed her brow. “An eyepatch?”

“You’ve seen her too, Lady Persephone?” Leon said.

“Yes. It was right before you found me in that helicopter wreckage. I was chasing Wesker, but that woman stopped me in mid-air,” she said.

“Well, at least we’re all on the same page.” Claire folded her arms. “But do you two have any clue who she is? Leon and I have never heard of her before.”

“Didn’t take much to figure this Galenia out when I saw her. She’s a seer and was wearin’ an all seein’ eye around her neck,” Hades said.

Persephone looked at him. “But that ability is so rare, and even then, only the Fates and the Entities are true seers. Unless Galenia is from another pantheon?”

He shook his head. “She’s definitely mortal. A demigoddess at best, but I could tell her powers were bestowed onto her by someone else. The question is who?”

“It can’t be Wesker. Umbrella’s research may have discovered ways to provide mortals with stronger abilities, but not enough to control time and space.” Persephone looked at Leon and Claire. “When Galenia sent you two back, did she give away any clues?”

“All she said to Moira and me was something about wanting us at the right place at the right time.” Claire thought for a second and frowned. “She also said that the balance of power in the world is going to change for the better.”

“Hmm.” Hades put a hand to his chin before standing up. “Thanks for the info. Sorry, Persephone, but you’re gonna have to entertain our guests by yourself. I gotta few things to sort out.”

She furrowed her brow. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’ll check in with you later.” He walked over to the map and examined it.

“Okay.” Persephone stepped down from her throne. “Why don’t you guys join me in the garden? I’m sure you’re all hungry.”

Claire nodded. “Yeah, that sounds great.”

“No arguments here,” Leon said.

“Uh huh. Good idea,” Moira muttered.

Persephone glanced at Hades, who was already absorbed into his work.  _He seems really worried. I hope everything is alright._

She led the mortals downstairs to the dock. Claire and Moira lagged behind and started whispering about something while Leon caught up and walked beside her.

“I want to thank you, Leon.” She looked at him. “For helping me with the outbreak. I was at the end of my rope, but then I heard your voice calling out to me. It gave me the edge I needed to fix everything.”

“You’re welcome.” Leon smiled. “Guess I don’t get a kiss this time?”

She laughed. “No, but you and your friends are welcome to stay here until you can figure out your next move.”

Once they reached the dock, Persephone teleported them across the river and led them into the garden. It wasn’t long until they reached the top floor of palace. She stopped in front of the golden double doors and smiled at the group.

“Alright, everyone. Welcome to my personal sanctuary,” she said.

Persephone opened the doors and heard gasps behind her. Her private chamber was decorated with nostalgic memorabilia from her time in the future.

Moira scrunched her nose. “No offense, Lady Persephone, but you do know the eighties are dead, right?”

Persephone led them to the balcony. “And you do know this is the Underworld, right?”

Leon chuckled. “She’s got you there.”

“I hope everything is to your liking.” Persephone waved her hands, and several platters of food appeared on the large, round table in front of them. “Sorry, but I’m not very familiar with American dishes.”

“Oh no, it’s perfectly fine.” Claire sat down in one of the chairs. “How do you know about all of this stuff from the future?”

“I lived there for a brief time.” Persephone sat in the grandest-looking chair. “That’s how I became a survivor of Raccoon City and Wesker’s experiment.”

“Yeah, Leon mentioned that last night,” she said.

“But aren’t you a goddess?” Moira furrowed her brow. “You could’ve escaped that incident.”

“I was only thirteen, and my sister was ten.” Persephone stared off into the distance. “Our mother sealed our powers away, trapping us in a mortal state, and then she left us to rot. My sister died while I turned, but I retained enough consciousness that Wesker saw some value in me.”

“I’m so sorry.” Claire placed a hand over hers. “Anyone would be traumatized by the horrors we saw that night, but I couldn’t imagine experiencing it as a child.”

“Thank you. What matters is that I’m free now.” Persephone took a sip from her glass. “Please eat. No reason to wait on my account.”

“So, Lady Persephone, are there any plans for today?” Leon said.

“Well, not really. Your presence was obviously unexpected. However, I was personally planning on taking it easy today, maybe even visit with the children later.”

“You have kids?” Moira said.

“What?” Persephone shook her head. “Oh, no, no. I meant the child souls that inhabit the Asphodel Meadows. I try to help them find peace, so their spirits can move on to a new life.”

“You mean like reincarnation?” Claire said.

“Yes. While there are some exceptions, most of the children haven’t had enough experiences to be judged, so we recycle them out.” She sighed, her gaze lowering to her plate. “Although, it’s not an easy job. Some of the stories I hear are heartbreaking.”

“I can imagine.” Claire’s gaze glossed over with sadness. “In our line of work, we’re lucky if we can save at least one person.”

Leon nodded. “And sometimes we’re lucky to come out alive ourselves.”

Persephone took a bite of her food. “That’s right. You mentioned something about working for your American president, didn’t you, Leon?”

“Yeah, I’m part of the secret service,” he said.

She looked at Claire. “And what about you?”

“I work for an organization called TerraSave.” Claire took a sip of wine. “We travel around the world aiding anyone who’s come into contact with the viruses.”

Persephone’s eyes widened. “The viruses have spread throughout the world in your time?”

“Not exactly. After the Umbrella Corporation fell, their experiments were sold into the black market. Our goal is to keep everything contained, so we don’t end up with a world-wide apocalypse,” Claire said.

“I see.” Persephone looked at the teen. “And you, Moira?”

Moira diverted her gaze. “I… I’m still in high school, but I plan on joining TerraSave once I’m eighteen. Or at least I hope to if my dad has any say in it.”

“Judging by your tone, I assume your father’s a little overprotective?” Persephone said.

Moira scoffed. “A little would be an understatement.”

“I can relate.” Persephone took another sip of water. “Since all of you are here, I’m wondering if you could help me with something.”

“With what?” Claire said.

“I guess it must be some kind survivors’ curse, but I’ve been working on a special project of my own to combat Umbrella’s damage in the future.” She smiled. “I’m creating a vaccine that’ll wipe out all of the viruses.”

Claire’s eyes widened. “How is that possible?”

“It all started when my husband thought of the most romantic idea to take me on a tour of the world for our honeymoon.” Persephone laughed, a swooning daze in her eyes. “It was, but while we were exploring some underground caverns in West Africa, I found this.”

A flower appeared in her hand. It was red with yellow specks and edges, and everything about its eerie aesthetic screamed deadly.

“What is it?” Leon said.

“It’s called,  _Stairway of the Sun_ .” Persephone narrowed her eyes at the flower. “It’s the source of the progenitor virus.”

“That’s the original virus that was used to create the T-virus.” Claire shook her head in disbelief. “All of this was started from a plant?”

“Not just any plant.” Persephone twirled the flower in her hand. “The local mortals claimed that this was gift given by their patron goddess, Nyame, so Hades and I sought her out for information. Nyame told us that any mortal, who could eat this flower and live, would be bestowed with god-like abilities and become leader of their tribe. If they’re found unworthy, they die.”

“What kind of twisted ritual is that?” Moira said.

“It’s pretty mild actually.” Persephone shrugged. “The point is, Umbrella found these flowers at some point in the future and used it to wreak havoc on humanity. The question is, however, did they hear a myth about the flowers, or was their discovery simply a fluke?”

“Why would that matter?” Claire said.

The flower vanished from Persephone’s hand. “Because if they knew the truth behind it, then perhaps it was their goal to create god-like beings.”

Leon furrowed his brow. “One thing I know for certain is that Wesker has been lying low for years, but he’s up to something.”

“Like what?” Persephone said.

“He’s been collecting samples of other viruses, and sometimes he loans them out, using the resulting outbreak for his research.” Leon frowned. “But he’s impossible to pin down. However, I was able to locate Umbrella’s remaining founder, Oswell E. Spencer. In fact, I had just given the tip to Claire’s brother a few days ago.”

“Did you hear back from Chris? What happened?” Claire said.

“I don’t know. I ended up here before he could contact me again,” he said.

“Why are you guys so worried?” Moira stood and pointed to the flower. “All we have to do is destroy those flowers, so Umbrella can’t use them in the future.”

Persephone looked at her. “Except that would create a warped paradox that would erase the world as you know it. My goal is not to undo the damage Umbrella did, but to end its legacy of destruction. According to my husband, Wesker used me to create a B.O.W. strong enough to kill gods. He was successful, and as a result, my ichor now carries anti-bodies.”

“So your going to combine the progenitor virus from the flower with your anti-bodies to make the vaccine?” Claire said.

“The actual process is more complicated than that, but yes. However, in order for my plan to work, I needed to fuse the anti-virus with a host.” Persephone sighed. “This is where I’m hoping you two come in.”

“You want one of us to be the host?” Leon said.

“No, I’ve already found the perfect candidate.” Persephone stood. “Follow me. It would be better if I show you.”

She led the group into the observatory, and walking to the far left wall, she pulled on a lever behind the curtain. The wall opened, revealing a secret passageway.

“This way,” she said.

“What is this?” Claire followed her.

“My laboratory.” Persephone materialized three sets of coats gloves, and masks. “Put these on and don’t touch anything.”

She brought them into the main containment area. On one side was the operating table and tools, and on the other was a room separated by a barrier. The room was divided into two cells.

“You’re experimenting on people?” Leon crouched down in front of Meg’s cell.

“Calm down, hero. She’s just a cadaver.” Persephone laughed. “This one in particular had a one way ticket to Tartarus. I told her I’d take a few years off her sentence if she’d donate herself to science.”

Meg glared at her from behind the glass, and Persephone gave her a smug grin in return. It also helped that she had soon her rival’s mouth sown shut, so she didn’t have to hear her constant whining.

“Anyway, we’re not here for her.” Persephone opened the other cell and brought Creon out for them to see. “Say hello to my great nephew, Creon. I decided to take care of him after his father murdered the poor thing in cold blood.”

“Aww, he’s so cute.” Moira stepped closer.

Persephone smiled. “Turns out Creon has the right blood type for my project. I just finished reviving him, and I’m letting him rest for a couple of days before we begin the less fun part.”

“You’re not really gonna experiment on a baby, are you?” Moira said.

“Yes. This is for the betterment of humanity, and don’t worry, Moira. I’ll make sure this transition is as painless as possible.” Persephone snuggled Creon before sitting him back in his crib. “I have a request, Leon and Claire. If you return to the future, I wish for you to take the him into your custody. Make sure my gift isn’t abused by the wrong people.”

“Us?” Leon glanced at Creon. “A baby?”

“But, Leon, this could be our chance to rid the world of the viruses for good,” Claire said.

“Whoa. Wait a minute.” Moira stepped in between them. “What do you mean  _if_ we go home? We have to return to our time, don’t we?”

“Not necessarily.” Persephone shook her head. “The fact that you three are here is because you’re fated to be, and you’ll only return home once you’ve achieved your destiny in this time. Of course, that’s only if you’re destined to return in the first place.”

“Then why are you asking us to take the kid to the future if you don’t even know?” Leon said.

“Just covering my bases.” She shrugged. “Think it over, and if things work out, you can make your decision then. If not, I’ll figure something else out.”

He ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know.”

Claire placed a hand on his shoulder. “At least consider it.”

Persephone smiled. “Like I said, you’ll have plenty of time to mull things over. For now, allow me to take you guys on a tour of the kingdom. The Underworld isn’t meant for the living, so you guys should know how to get around without getting yourselves killed.”

Claire nodded. “Yes. We’d like that.”

“Good.” Persephone headed for the door. “Follow me.”

….

Hades stood before a giant, seven-layered door, and a shiver of dread ran down his spine. He was deep within the abyss of Tartarus, and behind the doors lurked his father, Cronus. Ignoring the rapid pulse of his heart, he examined the door and searched the surrounding area for any clues. However, everything seemed intact, and there were no signs of an escape attempt.

He took a deep breath, calming himself. “Everythin’s fine. There’s no way my father escaped, but there’s no mistakin’ it.”

_“Paranoid, Hades?”_

Turning around, Hades saw the Fates, and forced a wide smile. “Ladies, to what do I owe this visit?”

Clotho stepped forward. “We know you’ve desired an audience with us, and so here we are.”

_Perfect. If I keep things smooth, I might be able to get some information._ He nodded. “Great, cause I’ve gotta few questions about–”

“Kennedy and Redfield.” Atropos took the eye from her sister and placed it into her socket. “Their arrival is an important one.”

“A step forward or backward depending on your choices,” Clotho said.

He raised an eyebrow. “Whaddya mean?”

Lachesis took the eye this time. “Hades, do you understand why you’ve failed to conquer Olympus?”

“I’ve gotta list that runs all the way from here to Crete, but I’m sure you’re gonna tell me anyway,” he said.

“Because you weren’t ready.” Clotho bowed. “We’re here to inform you that your fate changed. All shall soon hail Lord Hades, Ruler of the Olympus.”

Hades cleaned out his ear. “Run that by me again. I didn’t catch it.”

Atropos nodded. “Mt. Olympus is about to be yours.”

Blue fire shot in every direction while Hades thew his hands in the air in excitement.

“Yes! Finally! The cosmos is mine, ha-cha-cha!” However, a sudden caught thought crossed his mind, and he cut his solo celebration short. “Hang on, what’s the catch?”

“Whatever do you mean, Hades?” Atropos said in an innocent tone.

“Not that I wanna be rude, Atropos, babe–” He smiled. “But I distinctly recall you tellin’ me I was gonna rule the cosmos before only to lose out to Jerkules. And I’ve failed a second time since then.”

“We know.” Clotho folded her arms. “But you got Persephone, didn’t you?”

“Yes.” He sighed. “Barely.”

“Hey, it’s not our fault you’re so stubborn. We had to push the poor girl to her limit in order for you to finally see reason.” Lachesis narrowed her sockets at him. “But you are correct. There is a catch.”

“Great. What is it this time?” he said.

She shook her head. “The only thing that can defeat power is more power, but true love conquers all.”

“Seriously, that true love stuff again?” he said.

“Believe it silly all you want, Hades, but you know the truth deep down in your heart.” Clotho took the eye. “Build up your army for the trials ahead, a sort of “full deck” of the dead.”

“Remember what you hold most dear, for you will soon face your biggest fear,” Atropos said.

“Standing in your way is one final test. Succeed, and Olympus is yours.” Lachesis took the eye and the threw it up into the air. “Fail, and you shall end up like the rest.”

The Fates disappeared before Hades could comment on their prediction. He glanced at his father’s cell one last time before returning to the throne room.


	8. Missing Pieces

_Even after everything I’ve seen, none of it compares to this._ Leon groaned and tried to shake off the floating sensation that overwhelmed his mind.

They had just finished their tour of the kingdom, and the experience had left his body heavy, like his very soul was made of lead. He glanced at Claire and Moira, who were also dragging behind the Queen with pale complexions.

Claire shivered. “That was awful. I never expected there’d be so many.”

“Especially children,” Moira said. “I mean, I know its an older time period, but… god.”

Leon turned his attention toward the Styx. “Turning into a zombie is just a case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time, but this…. This is inevitable.”

When they visited the Asphodel Meadows, the sight of so much death had injected him with a fatal dose of dread. He found himself losing the will to live and wanted to join them. It was an overwhelming pull that made his stomach turn, and he knew if Persephone wasn’t there, the three of them would’ve been trapped in the depths of the Underworld forever.

Claire sighed. “With our careers, it’s just a question of when our numbers will be up. Probably sooner than we think.”

They entered the garden, and Leon’s soul became light and vibrant, the clouds in his mind disappearing. He heard Claire and Moira gasp, and he saw them smile with rejuvenation.

“What’s going on?” He put a hand to his forehead. “One minute I felt like jumping off a cliff, and now I feel normal.”

“It’s the atmosphere.” Persephone turned around. “The Underworld isn’t meant for the living, and the longer you wander out there, the more you’ll fall into despair until you might as well be dead. The garden, however, is safe.”

“What if we want to return above ground?” Moira said.

“I’d advise against that.” She shook her head. “Zeus has seen Leon, and you and Claire would be better off not being discovered.”

“But Leon said you cut the guy’s dick off.” Moira snickered. “He’s probably a total wimp now.”

Persephone’s tone became dark, and she gave the teen a stern look. “Until that bastard is dead, he’s still a threat, and even if he doesn’t harm you, the other Olympians would.”

Moira stretched her arms up over her head, releasing a few kinks in her back. “So your kingdom is dangerous, and the above world is a death wish. You don’t expect us to stay cooped up in the garden the entire time, do you?”

Claire placed a hand on her shoulder. “If it keeps us safe until we can return home, we might have to. Lady Persephone, do you have anything else planned for us today?”

“Actually–” The Queen glanced toward another part of the garden. “I was going to spend the remainder of the afternoon resting up. You three are free to roam about, and if you need anything, just call one of the imps.”

“Claire, Moira, you two go on ahead.” Leon walked over to Persephone. “Lady Persephone, I’d like to talk with you in private, if it’s alright?”

“Very well.” She headed down a separate path. “Follow me.”

Claire raised an eyebrow and whispered, “What are you doing?”

“I’ll explain later.” He followed Persephone.

She led him to the northeast side of the garden, and he took in the view of the tropical vegetation surrounding them. After exploring the rest of the life-draining kingdom, he found the place more comforting than before. His skin prickled at the sudden rise in humidity, and looking ahead, he spotted a majestic waterfall in the distance.

“How do you maintain this place when the rest of the Underworld so barren?” Leon said.

“It’s because of my powers.” She slowed her stride to walk beside him. “Unlike my mother and even Gaia, I can transcend the barrier between life and death.”

“So–” He placed his fist over his mouth and cleared his throat. “Uh, I have a slight concern about Lord Hades.”

She raised an eyebrow. “What’s the matter?”

“I could be wrong, but I don’t think he likes me very much.” Leon grimaced. “He keeps giving me dirty looks, and after some of the stuff Claire’s told me about the gods, I really don’t want to be smote out of jealousy.”

“You’re not wrong. But my husband knows better than to upset me, and harming you would.” She gestured ahead of them. “Here we are.”

Leon stared at the sight before him. It was almost like he had walked into a postcard. The waterfall stood several yards high and splashed down into a vast, misty pool. The sky reflected against it, making the water look crystal blue, and the pool was adorned with blossoming water lilies.

“What do you think?” she said.

“Seems like a nice place to relax.” He eyed the pool. “Uh, is this water dangerous too?”

“No, it’s safe.” She smiled.

Persephone walked over to a patch of black sand bordered the pool. Following her, Leon scrunched his nose. The sand had a strong, earthy aroma of sulphur and few other things he didn’t recognize. Examining it further, it looked like volcanic ash.

“Back to the subject of my husband–” She materialized a long beach towel and laid it across the sand. “So long as you aren’t planning to steal me away from him, you’ll be fine.”

She sat down and untied her bun, letting her hair fall behind her. With a wave of her hand, her gown and jewels vanished, and she leaned back against her hands, providing Leon a full view of her bathing suit.

“Wha… what are you doing?” He quickly turned his back to her. “You could… should’ve offered a little warning first.”

“What’s the matter?” She giggled. “Never seen a woman in a bikini before?”

“I’ve seen plenty, thanks.” He folded his arms. “But you’re married. This isn’t exactly appropriate.”

“I’m not asking you to have sex with me, dummy.” She huffed. “And I’d prefer not to have a conversation with the back of your head.”

_She’s right. We’re just having a conversation. It’s no big deal._ However, when he turned around, it was as if his tongue tied into an unbreakable knot, and his brain dissolved into sludge. 

Leon would be lying if he claimed he wasn’t attracted to Persephone. Given his luck with women, he had been hopeful during their first meeting. Little did he know that both of their encounters were nothing more than fleeting dreams, and she was an all-powerful goddess, destined to be with another. Yet, here she was basking before him in all her glory, her skin shimmering in the illusory light.

He admired the way her dark hair spilled out on the ground in long waves.  _I always did prefer brunettes._

His attention moved to her plump, pouty lips, and he thought back to their first and only kiss. It had been so smooth, so silky, and so surreal that Leon felt like he had ascended amongst the stars. He licked his lips, eager to experience it again. His gaze dropped lower, and if it were possible, his eyes would’ve popped out of his head.

_Woah. Those are…._ His jaw slacked a little.  _Fuck me. They look bigger than her head._

Continuing his tour, he was shocked at her taut and incredibly cinched waist that no mortal woman could obtain without the illusion of a corset or evasive surgery. Her lower body flared out into a set of very wide hips and long, slender legs worthy of an old-fashioned pinup. He was certain if he looked up,  _hourglass_ , in whatever served as a dictionary in this time, he’d find her picture next to the definition.

“Like what you see?” Persephone laughed.

He blinked a few times before running a hand through his hair. “Oh, uh, I usually go for… ahem…  _smaller_ , athletic women, but, wow, you certainly carry yourself well. Your husband’s a lucky guy.”

She smiled and materialized a second towel next to her. “Here. Sit with me.”

“Uh.” He stared at the towel before glancing around. “This really isn’t a good idea.”

“Stop being paranoid.” She rolled her eyes. “Just keep your hands to yourself, and I promise you won’t burst into flames.”

He gave her a skeptic look.

“It’s just a joke. Relax,” she said.

Walking over, Leon gulped, and he tried to push back the lecherous thoughts from his mind. It was really difficult to tell if the Queen was acting maliciously risqué, or perhaps, blissfully carefree, given how she was now braiding flowers into her hair while humming. Either way, he was going to act with a sense of decency. His body, however, disagreed, and he felt himself ache at the idea of having a chance with her.

_Knock it off._ Muttering under his breath, he sat down a little farther from her and bunched the towel over his lap.  _Persephone’s married, and you’re already getting yourself in too deep by sitting with her like this. It’s always just my luck, isn’t it?_

Persephone turned toward him, a melancholy look in her eyes. “Leon, may I confide in you about something?”

“What is it?” he said.

“Leon, what kind of person do you think I am?” She bit her lip, her gaze drifting toward the ground. “A lot of people tend to judge me by my appearance. At best, they see some ditzy, pretty maiden, and at worst, they see a pornai.”

Leon raised an eyebrow. “A pornai?”

“A whore.” She sighed. “So what do you see?”

_Strange question, but I’ll bite._ He glanced her over before he met her gaze. “You’re definitely gorgeous, but anyone would be an idiot to think that’s all there is to you. I think you have a good heart, and there’s a strength in you that never gives up even if you think you want to. And while you’ve dealt with some terrible shit, I can tell you’re heading down a better path.”

She stared at him with disbelief before shaking her head. “You really are the hero type, aren’t you?”

“Why do you always say that like it’s an insult?” he said.

“What can I say?” She shrugged. “I’m an anti-hero.”

“You women always have to go for the bad boys.” He frowned. “I’m sure watching your husband destroy the world and time as we know it was a big turn on.”

“Excuse me?” She sat up straight and gave him a stern look. “I’ve never been blind to what kind of person my husband is. I actually left him because of what he did, and… tried to kill myself.”

Leon’s eyes widened. “What? Why?”

“I told you earlier. I was at the end of my rope.” She hugged her knees. “I had nowhere to go, no one to trust, and I was just in so much agony. But my attempt failed, and Hades took care of me. He didn’t have to, but I guess he felt responsible.”

He shook his head. “And what? Did you expect him to change?”

“Of course not. But just like I’ve gone through shit, so has he, and neither of us can go back to who we were.” Her eyes watered. “But we realized that just because we’re broken doesn’t mean we can’t have love or happiness. I mean, do you think that’s foolish?”

Leon opened his mouth to answer, but he hesitated, his thoughts floating to Ada. She was morally questionable and in league with Wesker. Yet, she was this part of him he couldn’t let go, and he knew no matter what, he’d always be there for her.

“Nothing wrong with it at all.” He smiled. “Sometimes you got to grab happiness when you can.”

“And that’s why I’m with Hades. He makes me happy, and loves me for who I am on the inside. The good–” She sighed. “And the bad.”

“Hey, we all have our demons,” he said.

“No, not the type I have. I’ve tortured people. Killed people And sometimes, I even enjoyed it.” Her hands clenched into fists, and her aura fluctuated a bit. “The darker side of myself has existed for a long time, and I’ve finally come to accept it. Although, it scares me.”

He nodded. “Proves you still have a conscience, and I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

“Thank you, Leon,” she said.

He stood. “Well, I should be getting back.”

She gave him a knowing look. “Yes, Redfield seemed concerned. I won’t keep you.”

“Thank you for your time, Lady Persephone.” He bowed before turning to leave.

“The pleasure’s all mine, Mr. Kennedy.” She laughed and waved. “Sweet dreams.”

_She’s totally playing with me._ Leon groaned, feeling his body tense up again.  _Women._

….

Claire sighed while she tilted her head against the wall she was leaning on.  _It’s been an hour. Where is he?_

She had noticed the way Leon looked at Persephone, and it wasn’t sitting right with her. Her long time friend had a habit of wanting the unobtainable if his infatuation with Ada was anything to go by, and she could tell by the way he spoke of the Queen that he was certainly fond of her.

_He’s gonna get himself in trouble._ She stared at the ceiling.  _My trust in Hades is still shaky, but Persephone is a complete mystery. She seems to have good intentions, but…. I just don’t know._

“Claire?”

She turned and saw Leon approach her from the other side of the hallway. His face was flushed pink, but he didn’t seem out of breath.

“So how did your conversation with the Queen go?” Claire folded her arms. “Can we trust her?”

“Well–” He glanced back down the all while running a hand through his hair. “She’s definitely something.”

Detecting the aroused vibrato in his voice, Claire narrowed her eyes. “What did you do?”

He rolled his eyes. “We just talked. Relax.”

“Then why do you look so flustered?” She placed a hand under his chin and turned his head to get a better look. “I see the way you act around her, Leon. I’m not stupid.”

Leon removed her hand and stepped around her. “I’ve acted no differently with Persephone than I do with anyone else. You’re being ridiculous.”

“Fine, don’t admit it.” She scoffed. “But I’m warning you. If you keep hovering around the Queen like this, it’s not going to be long before her husband goes beyond giving you evil looks.”

“Thanks for the tip, _M_ _om_.” He stopped in front of the door to his chamber. “But I can handle things. Why are you so worried anyway?”

_Because I love you_ . Claire bit her lip and glanced away. “Nothing. This situation is just too uncertain. I mean, you heard the Queen earlier. There’s a chance we may never see home again.”

He placed a hand on her shoulder. “We’ll make it through this, Claire. We’ve been through worse.”

“You’re right.” She smiled. “I guess I’m just overthinking things.”

“It’s fine. It’s not everyday someone gets sent thousands of years into the past.” He glanced at the door. “Anyway, I’ve got some, uh, things to work on. I’ll check on you and Moira later, and we can work out our next move.”

“Sounds perfect.” Claire nodded.

Once Leon was gone, she sighed again. She wanted to go with the flow on all of this, but something still wasn’t sitting right with her.

_For now, I’ll worry about getting Hades alone._ She returned her chamber.  _We still have issues thing to settle._

….

Later that evening, Claire and Moira followed Vanity upstairs to the top floor of the garden palace, and the imp let them in through the double-doors. The Queen was sitting in front of a large mirror and was primping herself for the day.

Claire slightly bowed. “Good evening, Lady Persephone.”

She looked up and smiled. “Evening, Claire, Moira. Please, both of you, take a seat. No need to stand on my account.”

Moira plopped herself down in a bean bag chair, and Claire was about to do the same when something caught her eye. There was a vast display of art on the far right wall, and she wandered over to examine it. She was certain there was a piece of art from every ancient civilization in the world, and each contained a depiction of Hades and Persephone in the culture’s personal style.

“Wow, I don’t think any of the museums in our time have works this authentic,” Claire said.

Persephone glanced back while she brushed her hair. “Those are the pictures from our honeymoon, and the artifacts were gifts.”

_Makes sense given they don’t have cameras_ . Claire smiled. “It must’ve been amazing. I would love a chance to explore the Ancient World. There’s so much history to learn that was never taught in school.”

“Yeah, but aren’t most of these cultures sexist as fuck?” Moira walked over to her. “I doubt you’d learn much with everyone acting like a bunch of dicks.”

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” Claire folded her arms. “And I’m not going to let a bunch of macho pinheads get in between me and the educational opportunity of a lifetime.”

Persephone laughed. “Quite the historian, aren’t you?”

“Not really, but it’s hard not to be fascinated,” she said.

“Tell you what–” Persephone finished tying up her hair. “If the Fates allow it, I’ll take you on a tour myself.”

Claire raised her eyebrows. “You’d do that?”

“I don’t see why not.” She shrugged. “Besides, the world’s a different place when you’re not bound by mortal limitations.”

“Wow. I don’t know what to say,” Claire said.

“A simple thanks will suffice.” Persephone took out a poofy brush and started applying a powder that paled out her skin a little.

Moira folded her arms. “So, Lady Persephone, what’s the deal with you and Lord Hades? I mean, that stuff in the myth isn’t true, is it?”

Claire whacked the teen in the back of the head. “Moira, don’t ask her that.”

“Why not?” She rubbed her head. “You know you’re thinking the same thing.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s an honest inquiry.” Persephone frowned. “One that I have no interest in answering, but honest nonetheless.”

“We understand.” Claire furrowed her brow. “I mean, I had hoped that Lord Hades had taken any advice, but–”

“Advice?” Persephone glanced her over with narrowed eyes. “Advice about what?”

“When I first met Lord Hades in the dream world, he tried to pry information from me about how to  _woo you_ .” She quoted her fingers. “I shared some of what I know of the myth, and then I sort a lectured him.”

“Oh… well….” Persephone glanced away. “I appreciate the concerned gesture, but what happened between my husband and me is our business. You two, along with the rest of the mortal world, are free to believe what you want.”

“Okay.” Moira folded her arms, her face drooping into a pout. “So, how old are you?”

Persephone stood and walked over to the closet doors that took up one side of the room. “Sixty-two. Although, technically, I was born five-hundred years ago, but alas, the downfalls of time-travel.”

_She doesn’t look a day over nineteen or twenty, but…._ Claire raised an eyebrow. “And how old is Hades?”

“Seven thousand, two hundred and fifty-eight,” Persephone said.

Moira stuck out her tongue. “Uh, ew.”

She chuckled. “If that shocks you, you don’t know much about our family.”

_Oh yeah, that part._ Claire cringed a little and shook her head. “

“Well, unhealthy age gap aside, isn’t it kinda weird being with an old guy when you’re fuc–” Moira scrunched her nose. “I mean, doing it and stuff?”

Claire pinched the bridge of her nose. “Really, Moira?”

“What? I’m just curious,” she said.

“My husband is a god. He doesn’t age like mortal men do with all their little issues, and he wouldn’t dare let himself go if he wants to keep up with me.” Persephone pulled a few dresses from the closet. “Since I have you both here, how about a little girl to girl advice? I need something to wear for tonight, but sometimes it’s just so hard to decide, you know?”

Claire glanced over the dresses and noticed they were all revealing in one form or another. “Uh, what are you planning for tonight?”

“Oh, the same thing Hades and I do every night.” She smiled. “Have sex, then plot to take over the world.”

“So you’re in on the whole conquest thing too?” Claire furrowed her brow. “But Leon said you saved the world.”

“I saved the world from the T-virus infection. If it hadn’t been for that, Hades and I would be ruling Olympus right now.” Persephone set the dresses behind the large, silk screen beside the closet. 

“What’s all this stuff?” Moira walked over to the rows of shelves beside the vanity that held various sized bottles.

“That would be my perfume,” Persephone said.

“Wow. You’ve got every scent known to man.” Moira reached for the fanciest bottle with red liquid, but the Queen teleported next to her, swatting her hand away. “Hey!”

“Hold it, PG-13.” Persephone took the bottle off of the shelf before Moira could reach for it again. “ _This_ is for adults only.”

“Why?” Moira said.

“Because it’s the most potent perfume ever created.” Persephone grinned. “One whiff will turn any man into your undying, love slave.”

Claire stepped forward. “Seriously?”

“That’s correct.” She smiled. “It brings out your natural pheromones and ramps them up to intoxicating levels.”

“Wow, that’s–” She sighed. “Oh, who am I kidding? I don’t have anyone to use this with.”

“You? Have you looked in the mirror lately?” Persephone set the bottle down. “You should have suitors lined up for miles.”

“Thanks for the compliment, your Majesty, but my line of work doesn’t allow for much of a romantic life,” she said.

“Do you actually want a relationship?” Persephone thought for a minute. “If I remember correctly, marriage isn’t required in your time.”

“It’s not, but… I don’t know.” Claire shrugged. “I guess it’d be a nice change of pace. Just to have someone be supportive of me and understand the kinda crap I go through.”

“What about, Leon?” Persephone gave her a knowing grin. “You both seem to have a lot in common.”

“That ship sailed a long time ago.” She rolled her eyes. “Leon would rather chase after Ada Wong. He’s such an idiot. The woman’s a double-agent and works alongside Wesker of all people.”

“Really?” Persephone narrowed her eyes. “That definitely explains a lot.”

“You sound like you know her,” she said.

Persephone’s voice became dark, and her eyes flashed red for a second. “Oh, Ada and I are quite familiar. You could say she’s on my personal list.”

“Good luck trying to fight her with Leon around.” Claire scoffed. “He’s gonna get himself killed because of that bitch.”

“Yeah, that certainly would put a wrench into things.” Persephone materialized a small vial of the perfume in her hand. “Tell you what, I’ll offer you a free sample on the house.”

She looked at the vial and blushed. “No, I couldn’t.”

“I insist.” Persephone held the vial out for her to take. “Think of it as a kind gesture between girlfriends.”

“Uh, thank you, Lady Persephone.” Claire took the vial. “But I doubt I’ll ever be able to use it.”

“You never know.” Persephone winked at her. “Now just a few rules. You don’t want to land yourself in a precarious situation, so only use this during intimate encounters. Second, always make sure your intended is in agreement before use. You are manipulating their senses, don’t forget. And third, be mindful of the time of day you use it.”

“Why?” she said.

“It’s a hormonal thing.” Persephone stood. “For instance, if you want a playful puppy-dog, sprinkle some on mid-day. Seeking a performance of passion and ecstasy, use some at night. And of course, if you have a taste for something more wild, there’s a reason men tend to be morning people.”

“Does it only work on men?” Moira said.

“Not a clue.” Persephone shrugged.

….

Persephone smiled to herself while she made her way toward the throne room.  _Well, today was very productive._

She entered the throne room, excited to surprise Hades with her latest ensemble. However, he wasn’t there.

_Strange. He usually has a habit of working late._ She furrowed her brow.  _Maybe he finished early? And he hasn’t made a peep since this morning. I hope everything’s alright._

Persephone went upstairs to their bedchambers, but he wasn’t there either. She checked the dining room, the kitchens, and the bathing chambers, and he was still nowhere to be found.

“Where could he be?” she said.

She headed for the last place she could think of, which was his  _T.V._ chamber. She peered through the door, and saw her husband lounging on the couch. He pressed the remote over and over, flipping the image on the wall to different locations in Greece.

Scowling, he muttered, “Oy, where is that little yutz?”

Persephone teleported behind him and slid her hands back and forth across his shoulders. She felt his muscles tense for a second before he relaxed and leaned back against her chest. She snuggled him closer and bent over to kiss him.

She smiled. “Time to clock out, big boy.”

“Persephone, babe, right on schedule.” Hades chuckled. “So how’d things go with our guests?”

“As well as expected. I informed them of my side project, so they may be of some use.” She teleported from behind the couch and reappeared on his lap. “What are you up to?”

“Tryin’ to locate Jerkules. When Zeus said the brat was missin’, he wasn’t kiddin’.” Huffing, he tossed the remote away. “Anyway, I got some great news, Angel-face.”

“What happened?” she said.

“Well, to explain my absence earlier–” His expression became grave. “I went to visit my father’s cell.”

She furrowed her brow. “Why?”

“I didn’t wanna mention it in front of the mortals, but the reason I knew that Galenia woman was given her powers was because–” He took a deep breath. “She carried a similar aura to my father.”

Persephone gasped. “You think Cronus is involved with this?”

He nodded. “But it doesn’t look like he escaped. Until I can figure out more, I wanna keep a close eye on his cell.”

“And what are we going to do about Galenia?” she said.

“That brings me to my next point.” He smiled. “The Fates visited me while I was in Tartarus and gave me a new prophecy. It’s finally gonna happen, Angel-face. I’m gonna rule the cosmos.”

“That’s great, but–” She folded her arms. “What’s the catch? Those three are always so cryptic.”

“They said somethin’ about facin’ my biggest fear, passin’ some kinda test, and the only thing that can defeat power is more power. But true love conquers all.” He snorted. “Guess you got your wish on that one, babe.”

Feeling her heart skip a beat, she frowned.

“You okay?” he said.

“That things about power defeating power–” She shivered. “Wesker used to say that all the time. With this and the stuff about your father, maybe the Fates were giving you a hint?”

She stood and started pacing back and forth.

“Leon and Claire told me that Wesker has been lying low in the future, but he’s been collecting and testing viruses. There’s no doubt that he has some new project in the works.” She stopped walking and hugged her arms around herself. “And something’s been bothering me ever since I found that flower. You said Wesker experimented on me to create a weapon to kill other gods, but why would he do that unless he knew about our existence prior?”

“That’s a good point.” Hades folded his arms. “When I first met Claire, she had a real difficult time believin’ who I was.”

“Exactly. In their american homeland, along with most of the future world, Yahweh and Allah are the dominant patrons, and as you know, both of them prefer to remain anonymous. There’s no way Wesker could know about our physical presence in the world, unless he came in contact with someone from our pantheon,” she said.

“So you think Wesker’s in league with my father to–” He gasped. “To help him escape. My biggest fear.”

“Well, it’s just a hunch, but–” She turned. “Aidi?”

Hades’ eyes were wide, and his gaze was distant like was lost in his thoughts. His body tensed to the point that it looked like he was fixed to the couch, and his hair grew so weak that it snuffed itself out.

Rushing over to him, Persephone knelt on one knee and cupped his face in her hands. “Aidi, snoochy-baby, look at me. We’re only speculating. That doesn’t mean your father’s actually going to escape. Besides, you checked the cell yourself, and it’s fine.”

“For now.” His voice was shaky, and his whole body started to tremble. “It all makes too much sense. We… we can’t ignore that it’s a possibility. If we’re wrong, and he breaks out….”

She felt his pulse race to inhuman levels, and she slowly planted kisses along his face. “He’s not going to get you, okay? If you’re worried, we can up the security. Put someone on watch.”

“You don’t understand how powerful he was back then, Persephone.” His eyes watered. “Even now, his aura has influence over anything or anyone too close to his cell. The only one who could watch him is me.”

“You’ll drive yourself mad sitting Tartarus twenty-four seven. We should take turns,” she said.

“No. I don’t want him anywhere near you.” He buried his face in her hair. “You’ve been through enough as it is. “This is my problem to deal with.”

She felt his arms wrap around her, and she sighed when she heard him softly cry. “Don’t start that again. Cronus may be powerful, but he hasn’t dealt with me yet. And I promise, if that sicko so much as lays a finger on you, I’ll rip him into so many shreds he’ll be nothing but a pile of viscera once I’m done.”

Hades chuckled, his hair flaring back to life, and he pulled away. “Did I ever mention ho amazin’ you are, Angel-face?”

She wiped a tear from his cheek and smiled. “All the time.”

Persephone stood and sat down against the corner of the couch with her legs stretched out across the seat. She opened her arms, her hands beckoning him over in curling motion. Crawling over, Hades cuddled into her embrace, and she wrapped her legs around him.

He rested his head on her breasts and snuggled his face against her cleavage. “The real question is how did my father come in context with a bunch of mortals in the first place.”

“Maybe the same way we met?” She intertwined her right hand with his and stroked his hair with her left. “Along with Leon and Claire.”

“Through dreams?” Receiving a nod, he frowned. “It’s possible, but why hasn’t he tried to escape yet?”

“Knowing Wesker, they’re waiting for the right moment. The problem is when and what they’re planning besides that,” she said.

“We’ll worry about that later. Right now we need to take the Fates advice and focus on buildin’ up our army. If my father’s really makin’ a come back, we’re gonna need it.” He sighed. “You know, it figures. I finally get Jerkules outta my flame and put a huge dent in the massive ego that is Mr.-Every-Which-Way-But-Zeus, and this happens.”

“Everything will be fine, Aidi, and look at it this way–” She smiled. “This was our original plan, remember? Defeat your father and rule the cosmos together.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He waved his free hand, and a small version of his map appeared in front of them. “Now let’s get started on our army, and I already know our first draft picks.”

“Let me guess…?” She pretended to think.” The mortals?”

He leaned up and gave her a quick kiss. “That’s why I love schemin’ with you, Persephone. We’re always in sync.”

Persephone examined the map. She and Hades were in the Queen and King spaces while the imps were in the far corners as rooks. Meg and Creon occupied two pawn spaces, but that was it.

_He’s right. We need more allies if we’re going to win this._ She furrowed her brow. “What did you have in mind?” 

Three, new figurines appeared on the board.

“Okay, we have Claire, that irritatin’ tag-a-along, and the hero yutz,” he said.

She rolled her eyes. “You mean Moira and Leon?”

“Yeah, whatever.” He scoffed. “My biggest set back with Nutmeg was even though I manipulated her through the love of her ex, she hated  _me._ So when Wonder-breath flew in on his pretty, white horse, she bounced.”

“So you want to find a way to ensure their loyalty?” she said.

“Exactly.” He willed Leon and Claire’s figurines to move into the knight and bishop spaces respectively. “These two are already open to our persuasion. All we gotta do is exploit their weaknesses in a way that’ll make them completely devoted to us, and badabing! Two new minions served up hot.”

“And what about Moira? While you might find her annoying, she’s still a valuable piece.” Persephone moved the teen’s figurine to one of the knave spaces.

“She’ll fold once we get the other two.” He made the chessboard disappear.

“So–” She raised an eyebrow at him. “You’re not going to get jealous when I talk to Leon are you?”

His right eye twitched. “And who said anythin’ about you bein’ alone with the hero yutz?”

She sighed. “Well, I’m the one Leon’s spent the most time around, and I doubt you’d get far without burning him alive.”

Gripping her waist, he hissed in a warning tone, “Persuade the yutz, but you’re forbidden from seducin’ him, got it? You’re  _mine_ .”

“Uh huh. Sure.” She rolled her eyes and pulled his hands off. “Tomorrow I’ll call an audience with Leon and Moira while you deal with Claire.”

“And you’re not worried about me bein’ alone with Redfield?” he said.

“Should I be?” She tilted her head to the side and blinked at him with wide eyes.

He looked like he wanted to suggest something questionable, but he stopped himself and shook his head. “You really don’t have a jealous bone in your body, do you, babe?”

She smiled. “No, my bones only have enough room for blood lust and vengeful rage.”

He returned her smile before standing up. “Then it’s settled. First, we’ll turn the mortals into our super soldiers, and then we’ll build up our army. Though, I’m not sure who or what we could use.”

Putting a hand to his chin, he paced back and forth. Persephone thought for a minute before glancing toward of the window.

“What about the souls? They’re our people, so we should have the right to enlist them. Plus, we won’t have to risk an outbreak that’ll destroy time as we know it,” she said.

He nodded along, contemplating the pros and cons of her suggestion. “No can do, Angel-face.”

“Why not?” she said.

He looked at her. “Souls are bound to the Underworld, and unless we find a way to expand our borders beyond the Styx, it’s not possible.”

“But….” She furrowed her brow. “What about me? I’m able to defy most of the logic in the Underworld. I could lead the souls out of the Underworld, the same way I did when I revived everyone.”

“I’m not sure if it’d be plausible, but it’s worth a shot. We’ll run a test once we’re done with the mortals,” he said.

“Well, now that we have a plan, why don’t we focus on something more–” Taking out a bottle of perfume, she sprayed it all over herself. “Relaxing?”

He turned around. “Like wha–”

Hades sniffed the air, and Persephone grinned when she saw his pupils dilate. A low groan escaped his lips, and he quickly embraced her.

“Babe, you’re wearin’ that perfume again,” he said with a deep, desperate growl while he nuzzled the crook of her neck. “You know what it does to me.”

She giggled. “That’s the whole point.”

“Oh, Angel-face, you make the afterlife worth dyin’ for,” he purred.


	9. One Step Forward; Two Steps Back

“So what are we doing today?” Moira finished drying herself off with a towel.

“Whatever the King and Queen have planned I guess.” Claire began tying her dress back on. “Although, I’m hoping to get a private audience with Hades.”

Moira raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Well, after our encounter in the dream world, there’s a few things I wish to discuss,” she said.

The teen stared at her for a few moments before she scrunched her nose in disgust. “Wait a sec. You don’t like that creep, do you?”

Claire, gasped, the ends of her dress slipping from her hands, and she quickly bent down to retrieve them. “Don’t be ridiculous. Where would you get a stupid idea like that?”

Moira put her hands on her hips. “I don’t know. Maybe the fact that you’re so trusting of him. I mean, anyone can see the fucker is sketchy from several miles away, and yet you’ve done nothing but make excuses. You even had a bunch of stuff about him plastered all over your room.”

“Look, I admit to becoming a little curious about Hades, but that’s all it’s even been. A curiosity.” Claire groaned and felt her face flush in betrayal. “I just wanted to know if the dreams I had were real, and obviously I got my answer.”

“Sure. If you say so.” Moira started putting up her hair. “Besides, I thought you were dating that David guy?”

“He broke up with me.” Claire turned away from him. “Said he wanted someone to settle down with, and I didn’t make the cut.”

“Well, don’t let that fuckwit get you down,” she said.

“With everything that’s happened, I haven’t had a chance to think about it, but now that you mention it, it was very upsetting. I don’t know why I even bother trying anymore.” Claire sighed. _And Hades is taken anyway. Not like I had a chance with Persephone around. Ugh, what am I thinking? My interest in him is nothing more than a history project._

Once they finished changing, the two of them exited the bathing chambers, and saw Pain and Panic waiting for them.

“Hades has requested your audience,” Panic said.

Claire followed Pain and Panic through the dark hallway of the main palace, and she eyed the various structures along the walls.  _I wouldn’t take Hades for the gothic type, but I guess it’s inevitable when you live in a place like this._

Pain gestured to the door ahead. “Over here, Red.” 

“My name is Claire. Use it,” she said.

He sneered at her. “Whatever Just get a move on. We don’t got all day.”

Panic whacked his companion over the head before smiling at her. “Don’t mind him. He gets a little cranky in the morning. The Boss’ll see you now.”

Claire rolled her eyes and stepped around the imps. It was clear that Panic had a crush on her, and she wasn’t sure whether to feel creeped out by it or pity him. Opening the door, she stepped inside and found herself in a meeting room.

“Over here, Little Red.”

The scent of cigar smoke overwhelmed her senses, and she looked toward the center of the room. Sitting at the head of a long table was Hades, and he watched her with a flicker of mischievousness that made her stomach turn.

“Look, uh… Lord Hades, I’m actually glad you called me up here. There’s something important I wanted to discuss.” She walked over to him.  _Stop acting so nervous._

“Well, have a seat, babe.” He gestured to the chair next to him. “I’m all ears.”

Wanting to keep her distance, she instead sat opposite from him. “So all that stuff Wesker said you did is true? Lady Persephone told me the two of you are trying to take over the world, but why? You killed so many people doing what you did.”

“Now, Claire, I know you’re smarter than that.” He smiled. “Kingdoms are overthrown all the time. It’s just the way it is. Although our plans for the cosmos have nothin’ to do with Wesker or his test tube freaks.”

“Honestly, I can’t figure you out.” She sighed. “You’re so much different from the myths.”

He snorted. “That’s why they’re called myths, babe.”

“Right.” She collected her thoughts. “My point is that we all know something is suspect with this whole situation, and until my friends and I can find a way back to our time, I need to know if I can trust you.”

“Come on, Little Red.” Hades took a drag from his cigar and let out a puff of smoke. “I’ve always pulled through for you, haven’t I?”

“Yes, but we’re not in the dream world anymore.” She stood. “While it’s true that you’ve been helpful, you’ve also been just as sketchy. And I also remember you sitting idly by when Wesker attacked me.”

“Alright, so I may’ve had a few slip ups, but listen, Claire, babe–” He stubbed his cigar in the ashtray next to his scrolls before walking over to her. “If you’re waitin’ for me to tell you that I’m some hero yutz, who’s ready to save the day in the name of all that’s good and vomit-worthy, it ain’t gonna happen.”

Claire looked away from him.

“Not to say I’m as much of a villain as everyone claims. Once you get past the flames, the fangs, and the stench of death, I’m just a regular guy, who happens to wanna rule the cosmos,” he said.

She narrowed her eyes. “And you’ll destroy anything or anyone to get what you want, right?”

He chuckled. “Only those who get in my way, but the choice is yours.”

“Is that a threat?” She stepped back only to find herself caught between him and the table.

“I’m simply tellin’ you how it’s gonna be.” He gave her a half-lidded glance, a smirk curling on his lips. “Although, I must admit your obsession with me is very flatterin’.”

“What?” She gasped. “I’m not–”

“Oh?” He stepped closer. “My wife informed me that you were brought down here with a narcissus. That flower wouldn’t have appeared to you unless you were purposely seeking me out.”

Claire managed to slip away from him and retreated behind her chair. “Well yeah, Moira and I needed help, and you were the only person I knew.”

He waved a finger at her. “I don’t think you’re catchin’ my drift, Little Red. I created the narcissus eons ago for Persephone and only her. Get the picture?”

“Then why would it appear to me?” She furrowed her brow.

“I’d suspect the answer would be obvious, babe. What with all the research you’ve done on me, and you bein’ so concerned with whether I’m good or bad–” Hades appeared behind Claire and rested his hands on her shoulders before leaning down close to her ear. “You’re even jealous of my wife.”

Feeling his hot breath against her skin, she shivered and moved away from him. “How could Lady Persephone…? I never told her anything.”

“Didn’t have to.” Hades’ smirk was wider than ever. “My wife has a keen intuition about people, and it’s never wrong. Face it, babe, you hold a torch for me.”

_Nobody’s intuition is that accurate. Persephone must’ve read my mind or something_ . She continued to retreat until she was against the wall. “That’s ridiculous. I’m not in love with you.”

“The narcissus proves otherwise, and who’s to say it’s love?” He walked over to her and placed a finger under her chin. “Whether you accept or not, there’s a connection between us.”

She raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”

“As a god, I can sense when a mortal takes allegiance with me. Though it rarely happens.” He frowned. “I’m not exactly Mr. Popularity.”

“Allegiance as in worshipping you?” she said.

“Exactly, Little red.” His thumb stroked her cheek. “I saw glimpses of it when you helped me escape the facility, but it was apparent after I revived you. Your soul had this draw to me.”

“But that’s–” She ducked under his arm and walked over to the window. “I’ve never been devoutly religious, just spiritual, and why would I want to worship you or the other Greek gods?”

He shrugged  and followed her . “Maybe you just like the idea of adulatin’ a god you can see and…  _touch_ .”

Feeling his hands graze down her arms, Claire shuddered. It felt like her very soul was responding to him, but why? It didn’t make any sense.

“I never properly thanked you, have I?” Hades turned her around, pinning her between him and the windowsill. You showed me such loyalty in the dream world. Loyalty that, I feel, should be rewarded, and since I can’t offer you a few nights with yours truly, the career of your dreams is the next best thing.”

She rolled her eyes. “And what do you know about my dreams, Lord Hades?”

“Plenty actually.” He smiled. “Believe or not, you and I have a lot in common.”

“How so?” she said.

“You and I were both forced into our, if you’ll pardon the pun, after-livelihoods.” He returned to the table and leaned against it.

Claire furrowed her brow but remained silent. _Let’s see where he goes with this._

“As you know, I’m the first born son of Cronus, but after we defeated my father, my brothers and I had a huge fight over who was more deservin’ of the crown for Olympus.” He closed his eyes, his brow knitted. “Zeus suggested we draw lots, and what we got would be the domain we’d rule over.”

“And you drew the lot for the Underworld. Seems fair to me,” she said.

“ ‘Cept the game had been rigged.” A flash of orange washed over his skin. “Zeus and Poseidon had filled the box with nothin’ but Underworld lots while they hid the ones for the Cosmos and the Seas in their chitons. And when I discovered their trick and brought it to their attention, my oh so lovin’ family laughed in my face and kicked me out of Olympus.”

“That’s horrible.” Claire found herself reaching out to put a comforting hand on his shoulder, but quickly stopped and dropped her hand. “But I don’t understand what this has to do with me?”

He raised a curious eyebrow at her. “You have a brother too, don’t you, Little Red?”

“Excuse me?” She folded her arms. “Chris is nothing like Zeus and Poseidon. He’s kind, and honest, and has dedicated his life to protecting the world.”

“And where do you stand in your brother’s life, Claire?” He chuckled. “Once upon a time, you were a college student with endless potential, but then Chris went missin’. You try to contact him, nothin’. You ask the rest of your family, and they haven’t heard a word from the guy. So with no other option, you venture into Raccoon City to find him only to end up in the worse nightmare of your life.”

“And what?” She shook her head. “Are you saying my involvement in Raccoon City was my brother’s fault? That’s crazy.”

“Doesn’t stop it from bein’ true, babe. What if you had died, huh?” He smirked. “In fact, you came pretty close, didn’t you? Out in the Antarctic with your boyfriend, Steve. Guess, it’s a good thing you made friends with Leon, or else your brother never would’ve found you.”

“Hey, you weren’t there.” She turned away from him. “Besides, I found Chris in the end. That’s what matters.”

“But you wouldn’t have had to find him in the first place if he, as my wife called it, picked up a phone? Sent an… email? Even wrote a letter?” Hades stepped toward her. “I mean, if I were plannin’ on disappearin’ for a while, I’d be considerate enough to tell Persephone. Wouldn’t want her to worry.”

“Chris didn’t tell me because he didn’t want me to get involved, and it’s not like I would’ve believed him if he had,” she said.

“And yet here you are. Eight years later, and whaddya got to show for it?” Hades circled around her. “After everythin’ you did for your brother, you asked for one teensy, tiny, little favor. You wanted him to promise never to leave you again, and what did he tell you?”

Claire felt her heart sink, the memory replaying in her mind. “Chris said no. That he had to stop Umbrella at any cost and avenge his fallen teammates. He didn’t even ask me to help him, and once he brought me somewhere safe, he was gone again the next day.”

“Doesn’t sound like your brother is a good as you think he is,” he said. “Abandonin’ you like that?”

“How dare you?” She glared at him. “It’s bad enough that you and your wife have no respect for privacy, but you have the nerve to mock my past? Just because you’re not happy with the hand you’ve been dealt, doesn’t mean I feel the same. What happened between Chris and me is our business, and I’m proud of protecting the world from the undead!”

She stormed off toward the door, but before she could reach it, Hades teleported in front of her.

“It seems we’re gotten off on the wrong foot here.” He gave her a genuine smile. “My apologies. I was only tryin’ to help.”

“I didn’t ask for it.” She stepped back. “And why do you care anyway?”

“Because, Little Red, I wanna reward you, and I can give you anythin’ you desire, includin’ a new life,” he said.

“Sorry, Lord Hades, but I must decline your offer.” She walked around him. “My life is fine the way it is.”

He stepped to the side. “Fair enough. Why don’t you take some time to mull things over, and you can tell me your decision tomorrow.”

She paused in the doorway. “There’s nothing to mull over.”

“If you say so, but don’t forget you sought me out for a reason.” He winked. “A reason that’ll bring you right back to me.”

Ignoring him, Claire headed down the hallway. Every vein in her body seethed with anger at Hades’ audacity, and she was tempted to go back and punch the god in the face.

_Who does he think he is? Accusing Chris of abandoning me._ She rushed down stairs toward the dock.  _Like I’d waste my time worshipping a prick like him._

….

Echoes of a melodic piano filled Leon’s ears while he followed Vanity through the garden palace. He didn’t recognize the song, but it sounded depressing. Soon he could hear singing, and the voice was so smooth and sultry that it made the dreary song sound beautiful in a dark way.

_Is that Persephone?_ He continued listening.

He wondered why the Queen wanted to meet with him, and he felt his whole body shudder at the thought of being alone with her again.

_Hopefully, she’s wearing clothes this time. My hand’s already sore enough from last night._ He glanced at his right hand, flexing it a little.

No matter what he did he couldn’t rid himself of the aroused sensation that had flooded his body. Why had his attraction been so intense? He had never felt that way about any woman, including Ada.

He furrowed his brow.  _Maybe it’s because she’s a goddess?_

It was common in folklore for mystical women to have a stronger sexual allure than mortal ones. Whether the Queen was enticing him on purpose remained to be seen, but if she wasn’t, every interaction between them from this point on was going to be uncomfortable.

“Heh, Lust was right about you.” Vanity glanced back at him.

Leon raised an eyebrow. “Right about what?”

“Oh nothing.” The imp gave a cocky grin before opening the large door at the end of the hallway. “Good luck, lover boy. Please give us a memorable show. The last one was so boring.”

Ignoring Vanity’s laughter, Leon stepped through the doors. The room was sizable enough to be used for any occasion, and he spotted Persephone playing a piano at the opposite end of the room. He walked over to her and couldn’t help but be amused at how lost in her own little world she was. He cleared his throat, and her eyes snapped open, her song ending with an abrupt, musical ‘thud’.

She patted a hand over her chest. “Oh, Leon. You startled me.”

“Sorry, my Lady.” He bowed. “Your servants said you wanted to see me?”

“Yes.” She gestured to the empty spot next to her. “Please, have a seat.”

“So–” He sat on the bench. “Where’d you get a voice like that?”

“My mother. Although, I don’t sing as often as I used to, just to my husband sometimes.” She smiled. “Do you play, Leon?”

“When I was a kid, but I’m rusty at it now.” He glanced at the keys. “I didn’t know they had pianos in this time.”

“We don’t.” She positioned her fingers over the keys. “But if you’re out of practice. I can show you a few pointers. Just follow along.”

He lightly grabbed her wrist, stopping her. “No offense, your Majesty, but following a lady’s lead just isn’t my style. I’ll mess around on my own until I get the hang of it.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Funny, considering the only women you desire are the ones who lead you on. I suspect you must mess around on your own a lot.”

He stared at her, unsure if the Queen was referring to yesterday, but something about the way she was grinning suggested otherwise. “You and Claire have been talking?”

“She didn’t say anything I wouldn’t have figured out eventually. Why would someone as upstanding as you pine after Ada Wong?” she said.

“I’m a guy.” He shrugged. “We don’t need everything to be so dramatic.”

“Oh really?” She gave him a knowing look. “Is that why after eight years, the most you’ve gotten from her is a kiss?”

“Well, uh….” He glanced away. “It’s complicated, alright?”

“So which is it? Cause despite being a  _guy_ , you seem to crave drama.” Persephone shook her head. “Ada works for Wesker because she wants to, and she doesn’t care what negative effects her actions have on innocent people. And while she might have a soft spot for you, it’s only because she knows that you’ll let her get away with whatever she wants for a chance to fuck her.”

“Excuse me, Lady Persephone, but I don’t believe that’s any of your business,” Leon said.

“Actually, it is since you’re in my kingdom.” She frowned. “I need to make sure you’re not going to flake out if your precious Ada shows up.”

He groaned. “Look, I can’t stand the fact that she’s with Wesker either, but–”

“But what, Leon?” Persephone narrowed her eyes. “You think you can save her? Change her? Sounds to me like your little  _bad boy_ comment from yesterday was nothing more than projection.”

“Ada’s a good person deep down. She’s just misguided,” he said.

“I see. Well, I guess you can’t help how you feel.” She nodded toward the piano. “Now are you going to entertain me or not?”

Leon thought for a moment before playing the only song he knew by heart. He was ridiculously off key, and he saw Persephone cringe at each note he screwed up. However, after a few more bars, it began to sound like the song echoing in his mind.

She folded her arms and tried to hum along. “The Moonlight Sonata? Interesting choice, although your interpretation is very off.”

“Hey, I warned you,” he said.

“I suppose you got me there, but onto the real reason I called you, Leon.” She smiled. “In the short time we’ve know each other, I’ve found you to be rather impressive. You’re brave, strong, cunning, and noble.”

“Uh, thanks.” Feeling an awkward bubble well up in his stomach, he stopped playing. “But I was only trying to do the right thing.”

“Well, unfortunately,  _doing the right thing_ , is in short supply these days, which is why I’d like to offer you a job,” she said.

“A job?” He blinked. “Why?”

“Like I said, you impressed me.” She smiled. “And since you’re a minion for your American president–”

“Secret Service Agent,” he said.

“Same thing.” She shrugged. “The point is I would like for you to work for me as an  _agent_ .”

Leon glanced down and noticed her hand was lying on top of his. She gave him a wide-eyed, almost begging look, and he found himself unable to answer.

“Take some time to think about it, and it doesn’t have to be permanent. If we find a way to send you back home, you’re free to leave if you so choose,” she said.

He furrowed his brow. “And the child?”

She removed her hand from his. “I placed Creon in Moira’s care until he’s ready for the next phase. Why? Have you decided to take him?”

“I don’t know. I’m not in any position to be a father.” He shook his head. “I couldn’t even keep Sherry safe.”

Persephone began to play. “Who?”

“Sherry Birkin. Did you know her?” Seeing her shake her head, he continued, “Claire and I found her when we were trapped in Raccoon City. She was infected with the G-virus, but we were able to save her. However, I wasn’t able to protect her once we were taken in by the government. The same could happen again.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I’ll take that into consideration. Thank you.”

“No, thank you.” He smiled. “What you’re doing… it’s gonna save a lot of lives.”

“I hope so. Now, Leon–” She stopped playing and stood. “You’re dismissed for now. I have some other things to attend to.”

The Queen vanished in flurry of flower petals. Leon shook his head and started playing around with the piano.

….

Returning to the garden palace, Claire knocked on Leon’s door, but after a few minutes, it didn’t seem like he was there. Sighing, she entered her chamber.

Claire plopped onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling.  _What are we going to do?_

It was torturing not knowing when they’d be able to return home, and if she and the others weren’t careful they’d end up getting themselves killed. She thought about her meeting with Hades. As pissed as she was, the more she thought about it, the more she worried if there was some truth to the god’s words.

If Chris had been more considerate, she wouldn’t have had to scour the globe for him, and she wouldn’t have been branded with a target for the rest of her life. She wouldn’t have been subjected to nightmare fuel so horrific that she still wondered how she hadn’t ended up in an asylum by now, and she wouldn’t have been drafted into what felt like a never ending battle for the survival of humanity.

_But if I hadn’t gone to Raccoon City, I wouldn’t have met Leon or Sherry. Nor would I have all the skills I do now._ She smiled.  _And everyday has definitely become an adventure._

While her travels may have been dangerous, they filled her with an adrenaline rush that a normal, domestic life would never achieve. However, it was clear that this chapter in her life was soon coming to an end.

Claire furrowed her brow.  _When Persephone finishes her vaccine, will there be a need for TerraSave or the BSAA anymore?_

She thought back to Hades’ offer for a new life. In her own time, there’s no way she’d be able to assimilate into the normal drudgery of the masses. The very idea of her living in suburbia with two point five kids and a white picket fence was laughable.

_Still… a new life._ She closed her eyes.  _Maybe not a normal one, but at least something different._


End file.
